The Middle Aged Blues
by Kirby's Cowgirl
Summary: The squad pulls together once again after Littlejohn is seriously injured in a farming accident. I doubt I'll get to finish this until the holidays. I finally got back to this. Didn't want to leave it unfinished if the CV kills me...
1. Chapter 1

Copyright 10/19 Kirby's Cowgirl

_Fan-Fiction based on TV Show Combat! Copyright Selmur Production, Inc, ABC, Image _

_Productions etc._

_Disclaimer: Combat! and its characters do not belong to me, t__his WWII story is a piece of fan-fiction__ and I am not being compensated in any tangible way for this story._

The Middle Aged Blues

Chip reached across his desk to get another page of the report he was reading and the twinge in his leg nearly made him groan out loud. It had been raining for a solid week, and the damp set off pains in parts of his body that he didn't know he had. He rubbed his leg ruefully, looking at the photos on his desk, and smiled. Cass, the wife he still adored after sixteen years. Patrick, their fifteen year old son, named after Cass's first husband, lost in the War. He'd insisted. She'd cried. She'd gotten him back by naming their daughter Anne, three years later. They'd both cried then.

The next photo was of his baby sister and her family. Louise had married a widowed, distant cousin of Littlejohn's, that she'd met at he and Mavis's wedding, and it never failed to amaze Chip how happy she was. She and her husband had four kids of their own, plus the daughter from his previous marriage.

He finally eased to his feet, holding onto his desk, and retrieved the errant page. It felt like he would be back to walking with his cane for awhile.

He looked at the next photo on his desk, taken at a squad reunion. He couldn't remember how many years ago it had been. It was at Alex and Kirby's, and everyone was still alive then. He brushed at the tears that started leaking from his eyes. His Mother was sitting with Mom Kopacheck and Mom West on the front row. Littlejohn's Mom hadn't made it that year. His Mother, never one to cause any trouble, had had a heart attack and died on the plant floor a week before she was due to retire. Mom Kopacheck had died in her sleep the year after that. She hadn't been sick, and she was her normal kind self up until then end.

But Mom West… She and Mrs. Lewis, the woman he'd lived next door to all his growing up years, and his Mother's best friend, had both descended into full scale dementia. Lynn Lewis, married to his brother Joey, had had to quit her job and move back to Illinois to care for her mother. Joey had given up the post at Fort Hood that he loved, to be with his wife. Thankfully, both of Littlejohn's parents were still alive, and still farming, though on a much smaller scale.

Mom West had turned into an angry hateful woman, and she'd gotten worse after Mom K had died. Only Alex and Kate could reason with her at all. Three years ago Alex had had to leave the reunion at Littlejohn's farm early because of an episode with her mother in law. Two years ago, it had been she and Kirby's turn to host, and they'd had to cancel because any change in routine caused major problems with Mom West. No one else had enough room for all the wives and assorted family that now came with the squad. Littlejohn and Mavis had hosted two years in a row. Kirby had come without Alex, but he spent so much time on the phone that Chip had hardly seen him.

They hadn't even had a reunion this past summer. Caje and Ruthie usually spent spring and summer on Kirby and Alex's ranch, and fall and winter in the swamp running their tour boat business. But both of Caje's parents were ill, and they had pretty much moved to Louisiana permanently. All of them were dealing with what Doc had dubbed "the middle age blues." Doc was the same kind, wonderful man he'd always been. It was next to impossible for him to get away from his medical practice in rural Arkansas. He worked so hard that Patty had to chase him down with his meals to get him to eat. But he loved being a Doctor and he loved his patients. They may not have had much money, but he and Patty were a well loved and appreciated part of the community.

"Chip?" Cass's voice at the door made him look up.

"Come to take me to lunch?" he teased, and then he _really_ looked at her. She was crying.

"The kids?" He jumped up and closed the distance to her, and she shook her head. He folded his arms around her. If the kids were ok - something had to have happened to Alex. Danger was ever present on the ranch. Louise's husband's first wife had been killed by a dairy bull.

"It's Jimmy." She said, and choked, burying her face in his shoulder. All the wives in the squad absolutely adored Littlejohn, which still puzzled Saunders. He'd thought that Caje, with his accent, would have been the one they were nuts over. But it was big, quiet, Littlejohn, that they were always the first to greet whenever they got together. And it was Littlejohn that they hugged the hardest when it was time to leave.

Pete started to close Chip's office door, and Cass put out a hand to stop him. "I'm sorry." She managed.

Chip folded his arms more tightly around her. What in the hell had happened to Littlejohn?

"The tractor rolled over on him." Pete said, and looked like he was going to start crying himself. He and Pam and their three children were frequent guests at the reunions, and he knew everyone. "He's still alive, but it's really bad. You need to go, Chip."

"I packed your clothes." Cass said, swiping at her eyes.

"I'll have to -" Chip started.

"I cleared it with _the man _as soon as Pam called me." Pete said. "Told him family emergency. You can just make the train if you hustle. Pam's waiting in the car for you. You know I'll help Cass and the kids."

"Ok, Pete. Thanks." Chip said, clapping him on the shoulder as he and Cass headed outside.

"It's really bad." Cass managed, as they headed for the waiting car. "The specialist won't come. Mavis has offered him enough money to buy two states and he said he's not coming to some po-dunk hospital to try and save a man who's already dead. Jimmy is in too bad a shape to move." She choked. "Louise and Harry were headed for the hospital, she said they'd get the kids out of school and they can manage the farm for a few days without them."

"I'm so sorry, Chip." Pam said, as he and Cass got in the car.

He just nodded to her. He didn't trust himself to speak.

"Chip…" Cass bit her lip, and he knew he wasn't going to like what came next. "Once you get Jimmy settled, you go and - _You go kick Kirby's ass_." She choked. "Alex said that she hadn't even spoken to him in three months and he has a girlfriend."

Chip just looked at her in absolute shock. Littlejohn probably dying - And Kirby had lost his damn mind.

"Maybe we should just leave the kids with Pete, and you and I can go kick Kirby's ass." Pam said, glancing at Cass, and she _was not _kidding. The thought of them terrorizing a Vegas casino would have made Chip laugh out loud if he wasn't so worried about Littlejohn.

"Did anybody call him?" he managed. Kirby, with all his Vegas connections, would probably have more luck getting a surgeon to fly to in and help Littlejohn.

"Alex said he's sleeping with his secretary and she won't put thru any of her calls, so she gave up. Mom West is horrible. They need to just give up and put her in a home. But Alex feels like she has to look after her. She and Candace and Mavis have been taking turns with the girls on the road to give her a little bit of a break. They were hoping that the top ten for the rodeo association would be horses that they rode or trained."

Chip didn't have a clue why running a horse around some barrels set up in an arena was such a big deal, but it was Mavis Littlejohn's entire life. That and Jimmy, and Betty, their daughter. He swallowed hard. What in the hell was he going to do if the big guy died?

He hugged Cass and Pam good bye, promised to call the minute he knew anything, and got on the train. When the train pulled into Chattanooga, they had a thirty minute stop, and he headed for the phones.

The ringing jarred Kirby awake. He hunted around and finally found the phone. Very few people had the number to his private line in the penthouse.

"Kirby?" Saunders voice roused him into action, and he groaned as he sat up.

"Hey, Sarge! What's up?" he didn't realize he was slurring his words. He hurt so _damn _ bad.

_Great. Just frigging great. He was drunk._ Chip bit back his frustration. When had Kirby started drinking again? "Littlejohn's hurt and I need some help." He said.

"Shit." Kirby said, instantly awake. He panted as he fought down the nausea.

"I need you to find a surgeon and get him to Nebraska. Mavis offered some specialist a boatload of money to come, but he turned her down. All the squad will chip in -"

"I don't give a damn about the money." Kirby choked out. "What in the hell happened to the big moose?"

"They said the tractor turned over on him."

"Shit." Kirby said again. "I'm on it, Sarge. I'll get the best surgeon I can, if I have to hogtie him and drag him there."

"Thanks, Kirby." Saunders said, trying to tamp down his frustration.

"Tell the big guy -" Kirby choked. "Hell, tell him hang in there. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Ok." Saunders said, and headed back to the train.

Kirby pulled his little black book from his nightstand, and made a few phone calls. Jeff Pendleton was the top rated surgeon in the country. He tried to blow Kirby off when he offered him money, so Kirby just resorted to blackmail. He knew too much for his own good, and one of these days it was going to get him killed. He told the surgeon he'd pick him up in two hours at the airport. As soon as he hung up the phone, he was miserably sick. He stumbled to his feet, called his pilot and told him to get the plane ready, that he was on his way. He was a better than average aviator himself, but he didn't think he would be able to handle the plane.

Someone knocked on the door, and it was his old secretary, with a breakfast tray. "Bill." She said, looking at him worriedly. "They told me what happened. Are you ok?"

His life had seemed to start going to hell when she retired three years ago. The young pretty girl he'd hired to take her place did a good enough job. But she flirted with him constantly, and Kirby wasn't interested. He and Alex - he stopped. He didn't even know when he'd _talked_ to Alex. Their trouble making daughter Beth had told him that they'd be home the last time he'd flown back to the ranch, and they hadn't been. If Littlejohn died, Alex would never forgive him.

"Littlejohn's hurt." Kirby said, grabbing the juice off the tray. He had to get the nasty taste out of his mouth, and he couldn't even look at the coffee.

"You want me to pack your clothes?" she said instantly, sitting the tray down.

Kirby shoved the papers he had in his hand in his briefcase. "I can buy anything I need. I've gotta hurry."

"Bill, you're bleeding!"

"Not bad." He glanced at the blood oozing thru his shirt before he pulled his suit coat on over it. "I've had a hell of a lot worse."

"Bill." She said, as they headed for the elevator. Then, "Never mind."

"Ok, Harriet, spit it out." He said tiredly, leaning against the wall.

She handed him a handful of wadded up papers that she pulled from the pocket in her dress. "Messages from Alex that you didn't get."

"_What?"_ Kirby looked at her in confusion.

"That girl was the best in the secretarial pool. I knew she had designs on you but I figured she'd give up when she saw you weren't interested." Harriet looked like she was going to cry.

"Shit." Kirby said. That was why Alex was _always _mad at him on the very rare occasions that he managed to speak to her. He thought it had been - He stopped. It couldn't have been _six months_ since he'd seen his wife. And hell, _when had he even spoken to her? _It was impossible to have a conversation with Mom West around, and he had taken over more and more responsibility with the casino as time went by.

"Bill." Harriet said, catching his uninjured arm. "You're in no shape to drive, much less fly."

"The plane will be ready at the airstrip." Kirby said.

"I'll ride with you." Harriet said.

"Thanks." Kirby said. He had to get Littlejohn some help before the big guy - He swallowed hard.

Pendleton was standing in the overhang of the airport office, and he did not look happy. Kirby stumbled inside to use the facilities and splash some water on his face, while they refueled the plane. He knew Pendleton thought he was drunk. He wished he was. He should not have left the hospital. They'd tried to keep him, but hospitals brought back bad memories of the War and gave him nightmares.

"Let's go." Kirby told the surgeon, gesturing him toward the plane.

"I don't appreciate being blackmailed." Pendleton said thru clenched teeth.

"Well maybe you should behave yourself and not do things you shouldn't." Kirby said easily. He couldn't believe he'd said it. Of course, he wasn't capable of beating the crap out of the guy at the moment, and he needed him fully functional. But afterwards …

"I'll do the best I can for your friend, but like I told his wife, there's not much hope. That hospital doesn't have up to date facilities. I'm not a magician."

"All I ask is that you try." Kirby said thru gritted teeth.

There was another delay when they landed at the airfield closest to Littlejohn's town. There was no taxi service available. Kirby had to call the local car dealership and tell them to bring him a truck. The man who answered the phone wanted to argue with him until Kirby told him that he wanted a new truck with all the bells and whistles and that he'd pay cash for it. The girls went thru two trucks a year rodeoing.

…

Saunders had started hobbling to the hospital with his suitcase from the train station. Cass had brought him his cane or he wouldn't have been able to do that. An old farmer with a load of pigs in the back of his truck stopped and offered him a ride, and they smelled so bad, that Chip almost told him no thanks. But he wanted to get to Littlejohn to at least speak to him, if the big guy was still alive. Kirby had _said_ that he would get a surgeon, but he was drunk. There was no way of knowing if he would be able to find one, much less get them there. Chip climbed in the truck.

Mavis was sitting in a chair in the hallway, and she'd cried so much her entire face was swollen. She threw her arms around him and hugged him.

"Any change?" Chip asked softly.

She shook her head. "Dad's down in the administration office trying to find a surgeon. What is wrong with these people Chip? They just refuse to come and help. I told that damn Pendleton I would build him an entire state of the art clinic if he would try to help Jimmy."

"Kirby said he'd get somebody." Chip said, sitting down with her and keeping a firm grip on her. She looked like she was going to collapse.

"Kirby is not exactly -" Mavis started.

"We got here as fast as we could." Kirby's voice cut her off.

"Where's my patient?" The man behind him asked.

"Who are you?" Mavis whispered.

"Jeff Pendleton. I believe you told me I was going to burn in hell earlier today." He said, without a trace of a smile, as he headed for the nurses desk.

They whisked Jimmy down the hall, and the glimpse of him that Saunders got told him just how bad it was.

"Thank you Kirby!" Mavis said, hugging him.

Saunders saw him cringe, and then he untangled himself from Mavis as fast as he could and threw up in the trash can.

"SHIT!" Mavis said, seeing the blood dripping on the floor. "Nurse!" she screamed, running for the nurses station.

"Kirby, what the hell!" Saunders grabbed him when he missed the chair he was trying to sit in, and eased him down in the floor.

"I'm ok, Sarge." Kirby choked out. He had sweat beading on his forehead and looked like he was going to pass out. "Don't upset Mavis anymore."

A nurse appeared, followed by two orderlies dragging a gurney. They hustled Kirby unto it and whisked him into an exam room.

"I thought he was drunk." Mavis said, and burst into tears again.

Chip wrapped his arms around her, wishing none of this was happening. It seemed like an hour later when a Doctor came out and told them that Kirby had been stabbed, and he'd ripped all his stitches out.

"Oh, God!" Mavis said.

"Jimmy?" Mark Mumford hurried up the hall toward his daughter. He looked like he'd aged twenty years since Chip had last seen him.

"Kirby got the Doctor here! I thought he was drunk! Oh, Daddy, somebody stabbed him!" Mavis started wailing loudly, and Chip handed her off to her Father.

"How bad is he?" he asked the Doctor thru clenched teeth. If he lost Kirby _and_ Littlejohn on the same day - he swallowed hard. He'd thought, after the War, they were out of danger.

"He shouldn't have left the hospital, and he's lost a lot of blood." The young Doctor raked his hand thru his hair. "He keeps asking for his Sergeant, and he's upset about somebody being dead. I think he's having a flashback to the War."

"It's me he wants." Saunders stood up. "Can I see him?"

"Of course." The Doctor gestured Saunders in front of him. "If you could calm him down, that would help greatly."

Saunders pulled a chair next to the gurney that Kirby was lying on with his eyes closed. "Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?" he demanded gruffly.

"Alex was right." The noise Kirby made sounded like a sob. "She always told me I'd get myself shanked in that damn casino. Parker's dead."

It took Saunders a few seconds to remember that Parker was the head of security for the casino. When he'd caught a card counter, Kirby had rewarded him with a fishing trip with Caje in the bayou. That happened to be the week that Chip had taken Patrick down to visit and they'd all gone out on the boat together. Though Parker had claimed to be happy to have a break from his family, he had a wallet full of photos of his wife and three little girls, that he showed everyone.

"I'm sorry, Kirby." Saunders stumbled over the words. They were so inadequate and he'd said them so many _damn_ times before.

"Some things never change." A familiar voice with an Arkansas twang said from behind him.

"Doc!" Chip turned and hugged his old friend. "How in the hell did you get here?"

"I have connections." Doc said. "And a sweet little wife who shoots people who annoy her. She got me a ride with a crop duster that we know." He didn't tell Chip that he'd done emergency surgery on the man's wife on their kitchen table and saved her life. Or that they'd had a bumpy landing in the field right next to the hospital.

"Just like old times." Kirby managed, and tried to grin at Doc, but didn't succeed. "You've got to help me, Doc." He said, and tears started leaking down his face.

"You got stabbed." Doc said, looking in dismay at Kirby's ripped shirt and all the blood on the floor that an orderly was in the process of cleaning up.

"Yeah. Alex was right. I'll be ok though." Kirby swallowed hard. "We've got to get the big guy fixed up. Then can you please come home with me and help me explain to Alex the mess I've made." He stopped, seemed to be struggling for words.

"You need to rest." His Doctor said gently. "They shouldn't have discharged you from the hospital in the first place."

"I discharged myself." Kirby said. Then, looking at Doc, " I HAVE to go outside." He sat up, panting, holding onto the IV pole. "You need to help the big guy -"

"It's ok, Kirby." Doc said gently, sliding an arm around his waist, and unlocking the IV stand. At a look from Doc, Saunders caught Kirby's uninjured arm.

"You can't -" the young Doctor started.

"Sorry, Kid. I have to go outside. I can't stay in here." Kirby choked out.

"Vet." Doc said, seeing the younger Doctor's confusion. "We can't be closed up too long."

"God, I need a cigarette." Kirby said as the three of them sat down on a bench in front of the hospital.

"Want me to go find you one?" Saunders asked, starting to get up. He'd quit when Cass was pregnant, because the smoke made her nauseous. Kirby needed _something,_ and nicotine was preferable to liquor.

"Nah. Alex wouldn't let me in the house if I started smoking again." Kirby swallowed hard. "God, I have made a mess of things." He swiped at his eyes. "Doc, I didn't - I swear I haven't -" he choked.

"Let's just get Littlejohn fixed up." Doc said, clapping him on the knee. "Can you drink a Coke? Have you had anything to eat?"

"God, no food." Kirby said, and looked like he was going to be sick again.

"I'll see if I can find a Coke machine." Saunders said, standing up.

"Thanks, Chip." Kirby said. After Saunders had left, he looked at Doc. "Alex will never speak to me again if Littlejohn dies."

Doc slapped him on the knee. "Let me guess, that pretty little blonde secretary?"

"I didn't encourage her, I swear I didn't." Kirby gulped. "I thought she'd give up when she saw I wasn't interested." He swiped the sweat from his forehead. "But hell, I'm rich now, I'm a catch." He groaned out loud. "Alex and I share things that no one else could imagine -"

"Like shooting a whole squad of Germans." Doc cut him off. "Patty still has nightmares about that sometimes."

"None of it was her fault -"

"I don't think any of this is your fault either." Doc looked at him sternly. "We'll get thru it. We always have."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Bill Travers groaned as he sat down across the table from John Cook with a cup of coffee. "I don't know how they do it." He said, swiping at his face.

"Really bad day, huh?"

"She threw an entire bowl of cookie dough against the wall. It's worse than dealing with a toddler. I just -" he sighed. "I just had to have a few minutes break. No wonder Mr. Kirby never comes home anymore."

"Do you think him and Miss Alex are going to split up?" John Cook whispered. He and Travers had both come to the ranch after the War, when they were broken, and Alex had given both of them jobs, and hope. Travers had even eventually managed to talk Kate into marrying him.

There had been some muttering among the younger ranch hands, who were concerned the ranch might be sold if Alex and Kirby divorced. The ranch had changed, and not for the better, after Tall Feather had died. Alex hadn't been able to make herself appoint a new foreman, and she and Candace had taken on the job, with a little back up from Caje and Kirby. But Mom West's lingering illness, and the girls renewed interest in rodeoing, had taken them more and more away from the ranch. When Caje and Kirby were there, all the men worked and did their jobs, but they'd gotten really slack of late.

Travers and Kate ran the dairy and John Cook ran the kitchen, and just generally helped oversee things, but both of them still had trouble walking, and John couldn't even mount a horse. They both did more than their share, but there was a lot that went on on the ranch that they were clueless about.

The loud pealing of the ranch bell made both of them jump to their feet and tear out of the cook shack as fast as they were able. When Bobbie saw that she had their attention, she gestured to them frantically and ran back into the house. When they got inside, Mom West was unconscious on the floor and Kate was leaning over Alex, whose head was pouring blood.

"What the hell happened?" Travers demanded of Bobbie. "Kate, are you hurt?" Bending down over his wife, who was trying to hold her ribs and put pressure on Alex's head wound at the same time.

"She threw Alex against the stove, and when Kate tried to stop her she shoved her down too. I think I killed her." Bobbie said, looking scared, but making no move to touch Mom West.

"We need to get Alex to the hospital." John Cook said. Several other ranch hands burst thru the door and took in the scene with shock. "Get her in the car. _Carefully."_ He stressed. "Bobbie, I need you to drive -"

"But I have to talk to the sheriff -"

"All the men will drive too fast. You know every pothole in the road from here to town. I need you to help look after Miss Alex and Miss Kate, and help Travers."

Mom West was starting to stir, and Travers, ever his courteous self, automatically reached out a hand to help her. She backhanded him and sent him reeling.

"No more!" John Cook roared, and tackled her. "Get me something to tie her up with."

A few minutes later they had her trussed into a chair and she was glaring daggers and cursing at all of them. Bobbie blanched in horror at the words coming out of her mouth, and another of the ranch hands stuffed a kitchen towel in Mom West's mouth.

Once the injured had left, John Cook left two of the ranch hands guarding the furious Mom West. He'd sent the youngest kid along on the ride to the hospital for an extra pair of hands.

His first call was to the hospital, his second to the sheriff. He just told him that Mom West had attacked Alex and Kate and they needed to see about getting her committed. He didn't volunteer anything about Bobbie hitting her and from the way she was carrying on, he doubted she'd done her any damage anyway.

And then he sighed, sat down, and looked thru Alex's desk until he found her address book. He wasn't even sure what time it was in Vegas, but he was damn sure telling Mr. Kirby what had happened.

…

They'd put Kirby in a bed in a ward, and Saunders was sitting in a chair next to his bed, not seeing the newspaper he was supposed to be reading. Doc had gone to check on Littlejohn again, and when he stepped back into the room, his face was completely white.

Saunders jumped to his feet, but Doc didn't even seem to see him. "Kirby, we've got to go. NOW." He gulped. "Alex is hurt bad."

"What? What?" Kirby asked groggily, trying to sit up. "Oh, God, did she come off a horse?"

Saunders helped Doc get Kirby upright and get his shoes on.

"Mom West attacked Alex and Kate. They're both in the hospital and it's bad. Harriet wants you to send the plane back to Vegas for her as soon as you can."

Kirby was hunting in his pocket and he thrust some keys at Chip. "Drive us to the airstrip and you just keep the truck. That way you'll have wheels -" All the air seemed to drain out of him and Saunders helped Doc hurry him outside.

"_If Miss Harriet had asked for the plane to be sent for her, that meant it was really bad." _ Were they going to lose Alex and Littlejohn on the same day?

Saunders didn't know that after John Cook had gotten thru to Kirby's old secretary, she'd rallied the troops. She'd called Ruthie in Louisiana, and Patty in Arkansas, and left messages for Candace who was on the rodeo trail.

After Saunders had helped Doc load Kirby into the plane, and watched them take off, he went into the small airstrip office to use the pay phone. He'd completely forgotten to call Cass and give her an update.

Cass answered on the second ring. "I'm so glad you called before we left. The kids and I are going to the ranch to help."

"So you know about Alex?"

"Ruthie called. She and Caje are flying out in the morning first thing. Freddie said he would bring them tonight but she said she's not getting in a plane in the dark. Eddie and Theo are taking the train and they'll probably all get there about the same time." Her voice broke. "Chip, what are we going to do if we lose Alex and Jimmy?"

"We won't." Chip assured her, trying not to grit his teeth.

He could hear someone crying in the background and he thought it was his daughter, Anne. Both of his kids were crazy about Alex, she was an extra _Aunt_ to all the squad members kids.

He heard Cass say, "Patrick, honey, I'm sorry. You've got to get your clothes packed." Then to Chip," Frank died. It's just too much."

"Damn." Chip said. Frank helped Caje run his fishing tours and his wife Miriam cooked for all the guests. They were essentially, a second pair of parents for Caje and Ruthie, and extra grandparents to all the kids. Patrick especially loved Frank.

Then remembering, "Where's Louise? I thought you said she'd be at the hospital?"

"They still have to get Jimmy's crops in. And look after all the animals." She sighed, "Some of those horses that Mavis has are worth thousands of dollars." He heard her quick intake of breath, knew she was struggling not to cry. "It's just like the damn War. Too much going on and too many people dying."

"I'm sorry honey."

"Is there any update on Jimmy?"

"He was still in surgery when I brought Kirby and Doc to the airport."

"I'm going to knock Kirby's head off when I see him."

"Hold off on that, please." Chip said, and sighed. "He got shanked and he's in really bad shape. He did manage to drag that surgeon here in spite of it. And I have a feeling that for once in his life, Kirby is innocent. Talk to Harriet. She should probably be there in the morning."

"Alex always said he'd get himself shanked in that damn casino." Cass gulped. "How bad?"

"Bad. He lost a lot of blood."

" I don't think Harriet told anybody he was hurt. They didn't tell me." She sighed. "If there's any news about Jimmy, just call the ranch." He heard her say something to someone else, then she came back on the phone. "We've got to go. I love you. Tell Mavis we're all praying for Jimmy."

"I love you too." Saunders said. He put down the phone, feeling helpless as he drove back to the hospital.

An ancient pick up, belching smoke, was pulling into the hospital lot when he slowed to turn in, and it abruptly just stopped. Saunders had to brake hard to keep from rear ending it. He swallowed his frustration, and thought that the people might need help as he struggled out of the truck.

The driver slammed her fists on the hood and some mule skinner language came out of her mouth. Saunders thought she must be friends with Mavis. She was still cussing as she reached into the cab and grabbed a picnic basket. As she straightened up and turned, he realized it was his baby sister.

"Louise!" he called, struggling with his cane.

A shocked look came on her face and she dropped the basket as she ran to him. "Chip! I didn't know you were here!" She hugged him so hard they both nearly fell.

"Sorry honey." He said, as he struggled to get his feet under him. "I'm not doing too well lately."

"Is that yours?" she asked, laying a hand on the truck hood, and admiring it. He _thought _she was doing it so she wouldn't have to watch what a struggle it was for him to get his balance back, but he wasn't entirely sure.

"Kirby's." he said, "Come on, get your basket and I'll drive you to the door, and then come back and see if I can fix your truck."

"We left the better truck home for the kids." Louise said, "Harry can always get this old thing to run."

Saunders had a feeling that the _better truck_ probably wasn't in any better shape than this one. Harry and Louise worked really hard and their kids were well fed and treated right, but he knew there was no money for extras.

"I'll walk." Louise said, making sure he was secure on his feet before turning him loose. "I'm not getting into anything of Kirby's."

"Louise!" Saunders barked in his old Sergeant's voice. "Kirby didn't bother to tell me that he got shanked when I called him and asked him for help. He got the surgeon here before he collapsed. Alex is hurt bad and he and Doc had to leave."

Louise's eyes filled with tears. "Can the surgeon do anything?" she whispered.

"God, I hope so." Saunders wiped his own eyes, which were starting to tear.

"Jimmy's the best person I know." Louise said, and bit her lip. "What happened to Alex? Did she come off one of those race horses?"

"Mom West attacked her and Kate."

"The lady that can't talk?"

"Yeah." Saunders said.

"I'm afraid of those horses." Louise said, almost to herself, which Saunders couldn't believe. He'd seen her climb all over the team of draft horses that she and Harry owned and he thought they were as big as small elephants. Then, shaking her head. "The truck's not in the way. Just leave it. I've got to get some food in Mavis and her Dad before they pass out. If you eat something maybe I can get half a sandwich down them. Then I've got to go back and get dinner started and milk."

Mavis and Mr. Mumford were coming outside just as Chip pulled the truck to the door.

"Any word on Jimmy?" Louise asked, as she hopped out of the truck with the basket.

"Still in surgery." Mavis choked, swiped at her eyes. "I've got to get the horses fed. Walter can't bring them in by himself."

"You've got blood on you! Are you hurt too?" Louise demanded, and grabbed her arm.

"It's Kirby's." Mavis said, and didn't bother to stop her tears.

"Chip, why don't you ride home with me?" Mr. Mumford suggested. "You and I can catch up." The glance he cast at Mavis was meaningful. She was fixing to fall apart and didn't want to do it in front of him.

"Sandwich for the road?" Louise asked, reaching into the basket.

"I'll wait until we get home, thanks." Mr. Mumford said.

"Me too." Chip said, as he hobbled after the older man.

"I'll send somebody to get Louise's truck and get it fixed. Least I can do." Mr. Mumford said.

"I can probably fix it if there's some tools I can borrow -"

"Everybody around here has too much on their plate already."

When they pulled into the Littlejohn farm, there was an older model pick up and horse trailer parked next to the barn, and a teen age girl came out when she saw them. "How's Mr. Jimmy?" she called.

"He's still in surgery. I just came home to feed -" Mavis looked out into the pasture and only saw one horse.

"I knew you'd need some help with Mr. Jimmy hurt. I got everybody in and fed except him. He won't let me catch him. Mr. Walter mixed up the feed and made sure I got everybody in the right stall. I put my horse in Tom Tom's stall, he said it was ok?"

"Thank you." Mavis said with a deep sigh. "Do you know where Betty is?"

"She went home with Deana Davis a couple days ago."

"Candace let her?"

"She didn't ask." The girl said, and looked sheepish.

"She and Beth had a fight." Mavis said. Then, seeing the look on the girls face worsen, "Did Beth hurt Tom Tom?"

Saunders wondered if there was anything left of Beth Kirby besides a greasy spot at an arena fairgrounds. Betty loved her horse dearly. Candace might very well be trying to get Betty out of jail right now.

"She smacked him, but I think he's ok."

"Did Betty kill her?" Mavis asked, leaning on a fence post.

"Deana grabbed her or I think she would have. She just threw her gear in Deana's truck and loaded up Tom Tom and left. I tried to call her as soon as I found out about Mr. Jimmy, but the operator said they'd had bad storms there and the phones were down." She gestured to the horse in the pasture. "If you get him in for me, I can go ahead and milk. Mr. Walter went to lie down and I need to check on him too."

Louise had headed in the house with Mr. Mumford, and Saunders waited outside while Mavis caught the big horse and put him in a stall.

"It's been a couple hours since I tried to call." The girl reached in her pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. "Maybe you can get thru now."

"Thank you Callie." Mavis said tiredly. "How long can you stay?"

"As long as you need me to. I didn't even make the top twenty five this year and I'm not in any hurry to go home and have Mom tell me to grow up and get a real job."

"You've got a _real job_ here. Any time you want it." Mavis said forcefully, and Saunders _knew_ that if they got thru all this, that the girl's Mom would be getting an earful from her.

"That would be great! I'll get right on the milking."

"Come in and get you and Walter some dinner when you're done. And you can grab a hot shower if you want." Mavis seemed to be counting in her head. "I don't know if we have enough beds -"

"I'm fine in the trailer." The girl interrupted her. "You go on and do what you need to."

Chip caught Mavis's arm and helped her up the few steps into the house, and he didn't even think she noticed. She looked like she was going to collapse.

"I need to try to call Betty, and then I need -" her voice trailed off as she reached for the wall phone.

Saunders reached out a hand to prop himself on a kitchen chair, and Louise promptly pulled out the one next to it. "SIT!" she ordered. When he didn't move, "DOWN. " she ordered. He had a feeling that she was going to smack him with the towel she had in her hand and he didn't want to upset Mavis any farther, so he sat.

Louise plopped a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin in front of him, and he nodded his thanks before he washed a couple down.

He could hear one side of Mavis's conversation talking to the operator, and then her quick intake of breath. She must have gotten thru to someone, because she said, "This is Betty's Mother -" And then seemed to be listening forever, and Saunders wondered if she'd lost the connection.

Finally she wiped the tears from her eyes and snapped, "MR. DAVIS! My husband is hurt bad and I just need Betty home!" Then "What? You can? Oh, thank you so much!" Then the look on her face changed, and she said, "Mr. Davis are you still there?" She jiggled the receiver a few times and then sighed and called the operator back.

"Lines down again." She said as she fell into a chair across from Chip. "Mr. Davis said he'd bring Betty home and they'd be on the road first light. He sent one of the kids to the barn to get her but they didn't get back before -" her voice broke. "Maybe she'll get here in time to say good bye to her Daddy."

"Nobody's saying good bye to anybody." Louise said firmly. "Let's get you in the shower and give me that dress to soak to see if I can get the blood out of it. And you're going to have something to eat before you go anywhere."

"I'm ok." Mavis said, shaking her off. "Feed Chip." Then spying the basket sitting on the edge of the table. "Oh, damn! We should have left that food for Doc and Kirby! Don't let me forget it when we go back to the hospital."

Louise poured him a cup of coffee and put a bowl of soup in front of him. Checking to see that Mavis was out of earshot, she whispered, "Don't you dare tell her about Alex. She's upset enough about Jimmy, and Betty being on the road in bad weather."

"You don't have to wait on me, Louise, but thank you." Chip said gratefully. He wasn't hungry, but knew he needed to eat.

Louise hunted around in a cabinet until she found a bottle and plopped it down across from him. FOR MAN OR BEAST. He smiled in spite of himself at the horse on the label of the liniment bottle. Louise kissed the top of his head and then went to check on Mavis.

Saunders finished his soup, washed the few dishes that were in the sink, and applied the liniment to his aching leg. Then he poured himself another cup of coffee and hobbled to a recliner in the living room. He stretched out to rest for a few minutes before he had to return to this nightmare that just would not end.


	3. Chapter 3

"Dammit, George, are you still in the bed?" Bobbie stomped into his room.

George, hung over and deeply asleep, only realized that someone was trying to drag the covers off him. "Go 'way." He mumbled.

She shook his shoulder. "I need some help! George, you have to get up!" She grabbed the covers again.

It slowly registered in George's half functioning brain that it was _Bobbie_ that was trying to wake him up, and not one of the bimbos he usually associated with. "Bob! What the hell! You can't come in a man's room when he's asleep -" his voice trailed off when he saw she was crying. "Turn around and let me get my pants on, and whatever's wrong, I'll try and help you fix it."

She had cried for two damn weeks when Tall Feather had died, and George didn't think he could go thru that again. He had been clueless what to do and just held her and patted her on the back.

"You have to call Kirby." She sniffled as he jumped into his clothes. "You have to call Kirby NOW."

"Tell me what's wrong." He tucked her into his shoulder.

"Mom West attacked Alex and Kate. I couldn't get her off them. I hit her with the frying pan. I thought I killed her." A deep choking sob burst from her, and George tightened his hold on her. "You have to call Kirby. I think Alex is dying and Kate is hurt bad."

"Okay, honey. Okay." George said, herding her into his office and pulling her on his lap as he dropped into his chair.

"_Harriet?"_ he asked in surprise when she answered the phone. He had thought he'd be glad that Bill's old battle ax secretary had retired. She made no secret of the fact that she didn't like him. George knew exactly who, and what he was, and it didn't bother him in the least. He was a lazy,self centered, womanizing, SOB, and the only reason he had a job was that Bill needed him to manage the bowling alley.

"George?" Then a quick intake of breath, "Oh, God, did Alex die?" While she didn't like _him,_ she loved Bill and Alex like her own kids. Maybe more.

"I think it's pretty bad." George said carefully. "I guess somebody already called you? Is Bill on his way?"

He listened as she told him about Bill getting shanked, and dragging a surgeon to help Littlejohn when he should have been in the hospital himself. She told him that she had rounded up two more surgeons and that Chuck needed to be back in the air as soon as he'd dropped Doc and Kirby off, to pick the three of them up in Vegas. Harriet was as competent as a drill Sergeant. She could manage anything. Except her own kids.

"Alright Harriet, thanks."

When she kept talking, he said, "Sorry, I got to call and arrange for a car to be at the airstrip for them." He hung up and called the ranch.

"This is Prissy. Can I take a message?" a little girl said.

"Hi, Prissy." George said, gritting his teeth. He had no idea who the kid was. "This is George and I really need to talk to John Cook."

"He's not here right now."

"Prissy, give me the phone." He heard someone else say. Then, "Can I help you?"

"This is George. I need somebody to get over to the airstrip and drop off a couple cars so Bill can get to the hospital when he lands. Send the mechanic if you can, I don't know if Chuck can fuel the plane by himself? And could you make some sandwiches for Chuck to take with him? He's gotta fly straight back to Vegas and pick up a couple surgeons."

"I can do that." The woman said, "Is there any word on Miss Alex and Miss Kate yet?"

"No ma'am." George said, tamping down his frustration. "I'll be there shortly to help with the cows. That's all I know how to do." Kate loved her cows and if all he could do was keep the dairy running for her until she was better, he'd do it.

"Bob, grab a couple of my western shirts, and some jeans and a coat, will 'ya? I got to call Ruthie, then we'll head out." George thought that should keep her busy for a few minutes. He doubted if Bill had brought any clothes with him, and they were pretty much the same size.

Thankfully it was Caje who answered the phone, and though George was terrified of his brother in law, he was glad to not have to talk to his sister.

Caje explained that he'd already put the boys and Miriam on the train, and that Freddie would fly he and Ruthie to the ranch in the morning. Freddie had been out on the boat when the news came in, so they hadn't been able to leave immediately. Ruthie refused to fly in the dark, and she was adamant that Caje was not going without her.

"Bill got himself shanked." George said, gritting his teeth, "And I think it's pretty bad. Harriet said he should still be in the hospital."

"Mon dieu." Caje said. Then, "Make sure there's somebody to pick us up at the lake in the morning. "

"I'll park a vehicle there tonight." George promised. "I got to go milk Kate's cows."

He and Bobbie headed for the ranch, and they were only a few miles down the road when a crop dusting plane buzzed them.

"What the hell is that fool doing?" George snapped.

"That's Patty!" Bobbie grabbed his arm. "George, get off the road so they can land!"

George pulled the car over on the side of the road and the plane made a graceful landing on the asphalt, rolling to a stop in front of them. The pilot was trying to get her to wait, but Patty was over the wing before he could stop her, and George grabbed her before she hit the ground.

"Damn you, George! Why didn't you call me?" she demanded.

"I just told him." Bobbie said. "I needed him to call Kirby -"

"Miss Patty!" the pilot said as he hopped to the ground. "I'm sorry, I can't sit here in the middle of the road! I've got to have some fuel -"

"Bobbie, drive Patty to the hospital." George said, taking the bag the pilot thrust at him and shoving it in the back seat.

"I'll tell you how to get to the airstrip." He told the pilot as he climbed into the back of the cropduster, gritting his teeth. He really did not like to fly. And he had _never_ let anyone drive his brand new car.

"There was no place to land at the hospital." The pilot said as he clambered into his plane. "I dropped Doc in the field in Nebraska. Miss Patty saw you, and she said it was fifty more miles to the airstrip and then she'd have to drive back to the hospital -"

"That's ok." George said. "The faster you get us in the air, the faster I can get out of this thing." He thought he was going to be sick before they landed and taxied up to the hangar.

"Someone else comin' in." the pilot said, as he hopped off the wing.

George breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Kirby's plane approaching at the same time that three ranch trucks turned on the airstrip road. He didn't know the people piling out of the trucks, until a little girl waved, "Mr. George!" she called.

He waved back at her, thinking she was the kid that he'd taught to play pool when she'd come to an afternoon bowling party for another little girl, and then turned out to be too small to pick up a ball. She'd cried, and George had improvised and gotten a bench for her to stand on and played pool with her for an hour or so.

The door to the plane opened and as the stairs unfolded, Doc stuck his head out. "I need some help!" he called, and then they all saw Kirby staggering behind him. Chuck was still shutting down the plane. George and the two ranch hands ran and helped Doc carry Kirby to a truck.

"Hey Prissy." Kirby called weakly. "I'm ok. I just got a little sick on the plane."

"Why don't you be my co pilot and help me re-fuel?" Chuck said, catching her arm, and at the nod he got from her Mom, hoisting her in his arms and hustling her in the plane before she noticed the blood starting to soak thru Kirby's coat.

"I need you to leave a vehicle here so that the surgeons have something to drive when they land." George said to the older of the ranch hands. "I've got to get Bill to the hospital -"

"I'm sorry, Natalie. I didn't mean to upset Prissy." Kirby choked out.

"Prissy's fine. You just take care of yourself. I've got sandwiches for Chuck and we'll manage the milking."

"Drive, George." Doc said in a tone that meant no argument, and George jumped under the wheel. He had the sudden thought that Bill might die and it scared him to death. If Bill and Alex both died - he wouldn't put it past Alex to have named him as Beth's guardian. He gulped. He did not like his niece at all. The fact that she was almost a carbon copy of him totally escaped him.

As he pulled in front of the hospital, Patty came running out. "Get a gurney and an orderly!" Doc yelled to her, and she took off back inside.

"Alex." Kirby said weakly, "Alex."

They rolled the gurney straight into her room, and pushed it up against her bed. She was unconscious, and as pale as a corpse. George had to look twice to see that she was breathing.

"Oh, Al." Kirby said, looking at her shaved, bandaged head. Then, much softer, "_Oh, Al!_" he very gently placed his hand on top of hers like he didn't know what to do.


	4. Chapter 4

Middle Aged Blues Chapter 4

Patty must have realized that George was fixing to bolt, because she grabbed his arm and hustled him down the hall into an exam room. The older Doctor who ran the hospital was worriedly reading a chart.

"Kirby needs some blood. I'm going to help Dwayne sew him up again. Could you type George while we do that?"

"Of course."

Patty had already run back down the hall before he stood up.

George never could remember the guys name. He'd sewed him up a couple times when he'd been in brawls, and he always brought an ever changing group of kids to the bowling alley every Sunday afternoon. The poor man always looked exhausted, but he was unfailingly kind to everyone. George didn't think he had much money either. He always made sure he gave the kids some free tokens and Cokes when they came.

…

"Okay, Kirby, we've got to get you fixed up, and you're going to behave." Patty said, gesturing to the orderly.

"No." Kirby said. "Stay with Alex." His voice slurred, and then he passed out.

"Well, that saved me the trouble of knocking him out." Patty said, as she helped Doc and the orderly push the gurney into an exam room.

"Damn." Doc said, looking at the mess Kirby had made of his wound. He'd torn his stitches out 3 times. Well this time, he would not be moving around. They'd just put him in the same room with Alex. Regulations be damned. This tiny rural hospital was really nothing more than a glorified clinic, almost completely funded by Alex and Kirby. He didn't have a clue what to do to help Alex. And if the surgeons didn't arrive soon, he was going to have to operate on Kate himself.

Dr. Wallis was a good doctor, but he was older and he was exhausted. He should have retired years ago, but his patients needed him. His hands weren't steady enough for delicate surgery. Whenever Doc and Patty visited, they always spent at least half a day in the clinic so Dr. Wallis and his overworked nurses could have some much needed time off. Alex had been looking for a second Doctor for quite awhile, but she hadn't had any luck. No one wanted to come to a small rural hospital in the middle of nowhere.

"I scrubbed up really good like the Doc said." George said. "Take all you want."

"You probably shouldn't have told her that." Doc said, trying to make a joke in spite of the worry on his face.

"Is Bill going to die?" George asked, looking at his brother's ashen face.

"God, I hope not." Doc said, as he watched George's blood start to flow into Kirby. They'd propped his arm on an exam table and Patty was holding the tubing. She'd gotten George a bucket in case he got sick, and told him not to move.

"I can give him some too." She said to Doc.

"I think this will hold him until Caje gets here in the morning. "

"I've got to go milk cows." George said as soon as Patty had removed the needle from his arm.

"You've got to lay there for thirty minutes before we even see about you getting up." Doc said. "Lie still." He and Patty left.

Bobbie stuck her head in the doorway. "Are you alright, George?"

He sat up slowly. His head was pounding and he felt like he was going to be sick. "We've got to hit the road, Bob. But I wanted to see Kate."

"They went to check on Alex." Bobbie said, understanding. She caught his arm when he staggered, and directed him to Kate's room, where Travers was sitting next to her bed, holding her hand.

Kate's breathing was short and raspy and sweat was beading her forehead. She looked terrible. Travers had been crying.

"We're gonna take care of the dairy until you get better Kate. Don't you worry about anything." George said, and leaned over and kissed the top of her head. He thought he was going to fall when he stood back up, but Bobbie had a firm hold on his arm.

Kate tried to smile at him but he saw how frightened she was.

"You just rest and get better Kate." Bobbie said. "We love you."

George smiled at her and let Bobbie herd him out to the car. She had to help him get into the passenger side. They had only gone a few miles when he said, "Stop, Bob! Stop!" he had the door open being sick before she managed to stop the car, and only her grabbing a handful of his shirt kept him from toppling out as well.

"Oh, God." George said. "Oh, God." He literally thought he was going to die. He had never felt so bad in his life.

"Here." Bobbie said, handing him a cup of water that she'd poured from a thermos that materialized out of nowhere. He rinsed his mouth out and spit, wishing he had a Coke to get the horrid taste out of his mouth, when she shoved one in his hand.

"They told me you'd get sick." She said, looking at him worriedly. "Do I need to take you back to the hospital?"

"No." George said weakly. "Get us to the ranch. I promised Kate. We've got to look after the cows." Suddenly the fact that his carefully constructed life was falling apart didn't seem to matter.

"George," Bobbie said quietly as she headed down the road, "What are we going to do if they die?"

"I don't know, Bob. I don't know." He rested his head back against the seat, and the next thing he knew, they were in the ranch yard and she and Natalie were trying to get him out of the car.

"Go look after the cows. I'm fine." He said, and then he realized he couldn't stand up.

"Bring him in here." John Cook said, gesturing to Prissy to hold the cook shack door open. He hobbled out and grabbed George's other arm, and it took the three of them to get him inside and stretched out on a bench at one of the tables.

A few minutes later, George felt someone sponging his face with a wet cloth and it felt wonderful. "Bob, go milk the cows. I'm fine." He choked out.

"It's me, Mr. George." A tiny voice said, and he opened one eye to see Prissy. "I brought you a bucket in case you get sick. Mr. John Cook said you have to be still."

George would have laughed at how solemn she was, if he hadn't thought he was going to die. "Thank you, Prissy." He managed, and shut his eyes again.

…

"I'm sorry, Bobbie. I think there's something wrong with the milk pump. I thought it was more important that we got the milking done than to have Tate work on it. He said he'd take it apart tonight." Natalie said. "Prissy and I got all the goats milked, and put up."

Bobbie looked at the four ranch hands standing around, watching, not offering to help. "Are the stalls cleaned and the horses fed?' she asked.

"Not my job." Brady Hodge sneered at her, and looked at her in a way that made her want to shoot him.

Bobbie ignored him, vowing she would have Caje straighten him out in the morning. Maybe he would fire him, but she knew that he was too much of a coward to say anything to Caje.

She stepped into the milking parlor, turned the pump on and listened to it for a second before she adjusted the pressure and heard it settle into its normal steady hum.

"Who's left?" she asked Tate, as she saw him stand up with a bucket of milk.

"Those three." He gestured. "They're washed and ready to go."

He went to dump the milk into the tank, and she and Natalie hooked up the milking machines . Bobbie saw that the cows were almost through with their food and went and got them some more.

"I'm sorry, Bobbie." Tate said, as he came back. "I don't know a thing about milk pumps. I know I could have gotten it to work -"

"We just need to get the cows milked and everybody fed and settled for the night." Bobbie said. "Don't worry about it."

She heard John Cook's voice yelling something at the idling ranch hands and glanced outside. When they still didn't move, he told them that if they didn't chip in and help, they weren't getting any dinner, and that Caje would deal with _all_ of them in the morning. They slowly shifted off, but none of them came to help with the milking.

…

"George, can you sit up?" a voice asked him.

"God." George said groggily, and was glad for the helping hand that raised him upright. "The cows -" he started, and then put his head in his hands.

"The cows are milked. Everything's done." John Cook assured him. "Try and drink a little of this broth. I made it for Alex and Kate, but -" he let his voice trail off and George heard the worry and fear.

"Thanks, John." He managed. "What I really need is some coffee."

"The _last_ thing you need is coffee. You keep that down and I'll make you some weak tea."

"I had no idea." George groaned, took a sip of the beef broth. "Is there anything worse than giving blood?"

"Getting shanked." John Cook said. "I'd rather get shot again than try and give blood."

George nodded shakily, and he managed to finish most of the cup of broth before he had to lay his head down on the table.

"Come on, George." Bobbie's voice. "We've got to get you put to bed."

"Bobbie, I can just stay here. Look after yourself."

"Let's go, George." John Cook said, in a voice that meant no argument, and George slowly staggered to his feet. Natalie handed the shotgun she had in her hands to John Cook, and she and Bobbie herded George into the ranch house, and put him to bed.

"Bobbie?" George said worriedly. He'd suddenly realized that she'd be in the house alone with him, which wasn't proper, but he didn't trust some of those damn ranch hands at all. He wasn't strong enough to protect her if it came down to it. He didn't even think he could get out of the bed by himself.

"Tate's bringing Prissy. She fell asleep." Natalie said, "I've got everything under control. Caje will be here early in the morning, and maybe he can get those damn assholes to do their jobs."

"Thanks." George managed, and he was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

…

Tate got up at 1 am to go and turn the runway lights on. He'd been afraid to leave them on for fear they would burn completely out. They were really expensive and the last box he'd ordered had arrived with all of them broken. Chuck had assured him that he could set down in complete darkness if he had to, and Tate didn't doubt it, but he also didn't want Harriet and the surgeons to have heart attacks because he tried it.

He'd only been gone a few minutes when the ranch house door opened, and Brady Hodge, one of the belligerent ranch hands, staggered in.

"Did you want something Brady?" Natalie asked sweetly, and racked her shotgun. "Go out on the porch, I really don't want to shoot you in here. It'll make a big mess."

John Cook chuckled, raised up from the couch with his rifle. "I'm guessing you're drunk." He said, "Which is against ranch rules. And I may not have the authority to fire you, but Caje can. And if you don't back out that door, right now, I _will_ shoot you."

…

True to his word, Mr. Davis rolled into the Littlejohn farm a little after noon with Betty and Tom Tom. Chip and Mavis had spent all night at the hospital, and Louise had only left the farm a little earlier to try and get Mavis to come home and rest.

Callie came out of the barn. "Your Mom gave me a job, I hope that's ok." She said worriedly to Betty.

Betty stopped to hug her. "Of course it's ok." She looked, spied Walter asleep in a lawn chair in the sun. "Lord knows, we need the help." She backed Tom Tom off the trailer and bent to unwrap his legs.

"Betty, you need to go to the hospital. You can take my truck." Callie said. She caught Mr. Davis's eye.

"I'll drive you." He said, understanding instantly. "I'll drop the trailer and grab a cup of coffee while you freshen up, Betty."

"What happened to Daddy?" Betty asked, as she turned Tom Tom into a paddock.

"I'm not really sure." Callie lied. She was too frightened to tell her. "I'll look after the horses, you know I will."

"Sure." Betty said, completely not understanding.

Pendleton had worked on Littlejohn until almost two am, when he'd come out and told Mavis that he'd done all he could, but he doubted the big man was going to make it. Chip wanted to slug him for his lack of compassion. Mavis had been sitting next to Jimmy's bed ever since, holding his hand, and Chip sat with her.

One of the local doctors came in and spoke to Mavis, and shortly after, one of the nurses brought her a Coke, and chatted with her for a few minutes while she slowly sipped it. Saunders was pretty sure they'd sedated her, and when Mavis slumped over in her chair, he decided he was right.

"Chip?" Louise spoke softly from the doorway, and he staggered to his feet.

"Not good." He said to the unspoken question in her eyes.

"I'm going to take Mavis home whether she likes it or not." She said firmly. "Can you help me get her in the truck?"

They had just started down the hallway with Mavis between them, when they saw Betty running toward them. "What happened to Mama?" she cried.

"They sedated her." Louise said, looking worriedly at the older man who was running behind Bobbie, trying to catch up. "Mr. Davis?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am." He nodded his head to her, and caught Betty's arm firmly. "Can she see her Daddy?"

"Uncle Chip, what happened?" Betty asked, tears starting to roll down her face.

"Louise." Saunders said, gesturing to her to take Betty in to see Littlejohn. Mr. Davis grabbed Mavis's other arm before he dropped her, and they wrestled her into a chair in the hallway between them.

"Thank you for bringing Betty home." Saunders said.

"I'm glad to help. How bad is Jimmy?" Seeing the look that crossed Chip's face. "Shit."

"I don't want to upset Mavis anymore." Chip said quietly, and they sat in silence until Betty and Louise came back down the hall.

"Chip, can you get Betty and Mavis home? I'll stay with Jimmy." Louise said.

"I'll stay." Chip said, staggering to his feet. "I don't leave my men."

Mr. Davis just picked Mavis up, and Betty followed them towards the entrance.

"Chip, you're exhausted -"

"Look after them, Louise." Saunders bit his lip. "The big guy's gonna die and there's not a damn thing we can do about it."

Tears welled in her eyes and she leaned over and kissed his cheek and squeezed his arm. "I love you." She said, and then she ran after the others.

Saunders stepped back into Jimmy's room. "Dammit, Littlejohn! I got you _home!_ You were supposed to be _safe!_ You were supposed to live to be 90 and help raise your great grandkids! You've been driving tractors since you were what, six years old? What the _hell_ were you thinking? Dammit! I got you _home!"_ And then he sank down into a chair and cried.

His back and legs hurt like hell and Cass wasn't there to massage them for him, or to help keep the nightmares at bay. He wasn't there for Cass either, and knew she was going thru the same thing she was. He wasn't about to call her and tell her that Jimmy was dying. They couldn't be in two places at once, and both of them were needed where they were. And if they lost both Alex and Jimmy - he didn't know if Cass could recover from that. Truthfully, he didn't know if he could either.

He started talking to Littlejohn. He reminded him of the time he'd struggled on a crutch with a leg wound to keep up with the squad. How he'd carried a wounded Caje and Saunders back to the hospital when he was wounded himself. How he'd protected Sally Tavish when they'd been captured by Germans. He talked until he was completely hoarse.

"_Dammit, Littlejohn! I got you home! It's not fair!"_ Finally he dropped off to sleep from sheer exhaustion.

A long time later, he woke up to the sounds of an altercation in the hall, and stumbled to his feet. It was an older lady, and she was _angry._ At first he thought it was Littlejohn's Mom, but then he remembered that Littlejohn's parents had gone to Kansas to meet their first great grandchild. The baby had come early, and wasn't doing well, and they were going to christen him in the hospital, as soon as the Littlejohn's arrived. The train only ran 2 days a week and the plan had been for them to stay on until Saturday. Littlejohn's brother Bob had been adamant that no one was calling them, because there was no way for them to get back any sooner. He didn't want his Mother to wrestle with guilt over not being able to be two places at once, and he didn't want her agonizing over Jimmy. All the men were frantically trying to get their crops in, as for some of them their loss could mean bankruptcy.

Chip caught hold of the doorframe as he realized it was Miss Rosalee who was so angry. She was giving Pendleton _what for._ And though she hadn't raised her voice, or cussed at him, it was very plain just how _mad_ she was. Miss Rosalee was every inch a lady. Pendleton gave her a disgusted look and started to walk off, and she whacked him upside his head with her pocketbook. Ka Bam! Pendleton staggered sideways, and looked like he was going to grab Miss Rosalee, but Mr. Mumford said something, and Pendleton backed off in a hurry.

He had no idea that Miss Rosalee had held a prayer vigil in Jimmy's room and he had slept thru the entire thing. There were so many Littlejohn men that most of them had had to stand out in the hallway. Chip was so exhausted that a train could have plowed thru the hospital and it wouldn't have woken him up.

"Whoever made Miss Rosalee mad, you'll have to take care of it for me, Sarge. I don't think I can get up."

Saunders lost his hold on the doorframe and stumbled back into the room. Littlejohn was looking at him! "Ah, I think your father in law threatened to shoot the guy." He stammered.

"Dad Mumford threatened to shoot somebody!" Littlejohn chuckled.

The giants laughter made one of the young nurses stick her head in the room, and she yelled, "Mr. Jimmy's awake!"

Saunders figured the older nurse would clobber her, but medical personnel started coming from everywhere, and he very nearly got knocked down. A young orderly was patting Jimmy on the shoulder and crying, and the older head nurse had to push him out of the way so she could check his vitals.

"Jimmy –" she said, and her eyes filled with tears. Then, "Oh, hell, you scared me half to death."

"Where's Mavis?"

"We sedated her and Betty took her home. She could barely stand up. She and your Sergeant have been here the entire time and everyone else has been in and out." She looked at the orderly. "Go find that damn Pendleton. Miss Rosalee may have killed him and stuffed him in a broom closet."

Littlejohn started laughing again, and then stopped and held his side.

"Be still and be quiet." The nurse ordered him.

"I'll go find Miss Rosalee." Chip said, wanting to do something.

"We had to send them to the chapel. There were just too many of them to be in the hallway."

Chip had no idea what she meant, until he turned into the corridor that led to the chapel. The entire hall was full. Everyone nodded to him, and they all looked terrified. Louise and Harry were standing at the rear of the chapel, which was filled to capacity. Saunders figured that the entire town must be there. Well over a hundred people.

He saw how Louise gripped Harry's hand even tighter when she saw him, and the tears in her eyes.

"Littlejohn's awake and talking." He croaked, wondering why it was so hard to speak.

The word was passed thru the chapel and so many women came to hug him that Saunders lost count. All the men were slapping each other on the back, and Saunders knew that no matter what Pendleton thought, it was Miss Rosalee's prayer vigil that had saved Jimmy. Littlejohn was by no means out of the woods, but the fact that he was awake and in good spirits was a major step in the right direction. He headed for the pay phone to call Cass.


	5. Chapter 5

Middle Aged Blues Chapter 5

The ringing of the phone made Ruthie put her coffee down and look at it with sheer terror. When she made no move to get up, Freddie snagged the phone off the wall and answered it.

"No, Doc, it's Freddie." He said, "I'll let you talk to Caje-" Then, "Ok, the Cajun blood bank will be in the air at first light along with Mama Bear. Here's Caje." He handed the phone to his cousin.

"How are they Doc?" Caje asked, worry creasing his face. "Yeah, I'll come straight to the hospital, that's not a problem. You what?" He scrubbed his hand over his face. "I know you'll do the best you can." He listened for a few more seconds, then said, " Well, I figured he'd step up if he absolutely had to. I'll see you in the morning." And hung up.

"Paul?" Ruthie asked worriedly.

"George gave Kirby some blood and then got up and went and tried to milk Kate's cows after he was told not to get out of bed." Caje gave his wife a half hearted stern look. "So lay off of both of them, ok? George was still trying to look after Bobbie and it took three people to get him in the house."

"Oh my lord! Bobbie's by herself!"

"Natalie and John Cook are armed and believe me, John _will_ shoot anybody that gives him any trouble." Caje sighed. "We should try and get some sleep."

"We should have left when they called." Ruthie said, and started to cry.

Freddie got up and poured them all another cup of coffee. "Everything will be alright." He told her, but the look he shot Caje said anything but. He hesitated, and then got sandwich makings out of the fridge. "Ruthie, are you the same blood type as Bill?"

"What?" Ruthie looked at him in confusion.

"You may have to give blood too." Freddie plopped a sandwich in front of her. "And you're too damn little. Paul has too much on him already without you falling out, plus it'll scare the boys half to death." He looked at Caje. "I guess they can give some, maybe not a whole pint?"

"Yeah." Caje said thoughtfully.

"What didn't you tell me?" Ruthie asked Caje. "What does Dwayne have to do?"

"He's going to have to operate on Kate. He said they couldn't wait until the surgeons got there."

Ruthie put her face in her hands and silent sobs shook her body. Caje and Freddie each reached out and put a hand on her shoulders.

"He's a damn fine Doctor." Freddie said firmly, though he had to clear his throat twice to get the words out.

"Yeah, he is, and he always sells himself short." Caje said.

…

Kirby blinked himself awake when he heard someone come into the room. "Alex?" he asked groggily, when he saw someone he didn't know checking her vitals.

The older man picked up the chart at the end of her bed and read it. "She has an extra thick skull." He said, almost to himself.

"She's hard headed as hell." Kirby said, not understanding.

"I'm Doctor Randolph." The man said, not telling Kirby that Alex's extra thick skull was probably the only reason she was alive.

"Will she be ok?"

"We'll just let her rest. It's the best thing for her right now. I need to see if I can help the other lady." The Doctor left.

"How are you, Bill?" Harriet asked, as she stepped into the room. She looked terrible, and Chuck had a firm grip on her arm. Kirby thought that that might be the only thing keeping her upright.

"I'm alright, Harriet." He said tiredly. "You need to rest. Take care of yourself. Thank you so much for getting the surgeons here." He nodded to Chuck, who gave him a mock salute.

"How's Alex?" Tears were starting to leak down Harriet's face.

"The Doctor said to just let her rest." Kirby said worriedly.

"Come on, Harriet." Chuck said, steering her out of the room. "I know you're not going to lie down, but we can go sit with Travers. Kirby needs to sleep."

"Thanks." Kirby mouthed at Chuck, who just nodded back at him.

…

"Make your cut a little deeper, son." A strong voice said, and for a moment Doc thought that God was speaking to him. He was so afraid he was going to make a mistake and kill Kate.

"Sir?" he stammered as he looked at the older man. "Would you like to take over?"

"You're doing fine. Your hands are steadier than mine. I'll talk you thru it. I'm Randolph, by the way, and you're Dwayne. We'll have this young lady fixed up in no time." He missed the look of sheer gratitude that Patty shot him.

…

"Mr. Kirby, Granddad wanted me to check you over. I'm Terence Deacon Randolph III. They call me _Tree."_ A voice said.

"Because you couldn't say three when you were little." Kirby guessed.

"Smart man." He checked Kirby's bandage for leakage and seemed satisfied. "Your blood pressure's a little low for my liking. I'll give you some blood as soon as they're through with surgery -"

Kirby shook his head. "Caje will be here in the morning."

"Is his blood better than mine?" Tree asked, but he was grinning.

"Yeah. He's already saved my life a couple times."

Tree looked like he wanted to argue the point, but conceded. "You just rest then. I'll be back a little later to check on you."

"They didn't need you in surgery?"

"It was a little crowded in there. Dr. Wallis wanted to observe and I wasn't going to push him out."

"Will Kate be alright?"

"She's young and strong and there's no reason she can't make a full recovery in time."

…

"Kirby, I can't leave you alone for five minutes without you getting into something." Caje said, early the next morning.

"What?" Kirby asked, then saw how Caje was worriedly rubbing Alex's arm.

"We've got to get some good Cajun blood in you." Caje said cheerfully. Dr. Wallis and an orderly came in and started to roll Kirby's bed out of the room.

"Alex -" Kirby protested.

"I'll stay with Alex." Patty said tiredly, and she dropped into a chair.

"You're supposed to be asleep." Dr. Wallis said.

She just shook her head at him. "Thank you, Caje." She said.

"Freddie and Ruthie went to the ranch to make sure the cows are milked and everything's done. They'll pick up everybody at the train station later."

"Thank you Caje." Patty said again, and then she started crying. He leaned over and hugged her.

"Don't give up on Alex." He said softly.

…

Kirby was dozing in his chair when a groan from Alex wake him up.

"Oh, God, did I get shot again?" she tried to touch her head, but he managed to stop her.

"Yeah." He choked out, carefully kissing her hand. "But you're gonna be ok." There was no way in _hell_ he was even going to try and explain what _had_ happened to her.

"You're hurt." It was an accusation.

He shook his head. "As long as you're ok."

"I love you." She said tiredly, and then she looked confused. "Can I have some ice cream?"

"I'll buy a whole fleet of Good Humor trucks."

She smiled at him, and he felt his heart catch. He couldn't remember when she'd smiled at him like that. Hell he couldn't remember when he'd even _talked _to her. He'd been so damn busy making money and being a big shot, that he'd forgotten that she was all that mattered. If he'd been home helping her, where he should have been, maybe none of this would have happened.

Alex closed her eyes and drifted off, and he panicked. "Tree?" he whispered frantically.

Tree put down the medical journal he'd been reading and checked Alex's vitals. "She's asleep." He said. Seeing Kirby's confusion, "Asleep. Not unconscious. Best thing for her is rest right now. But no ice cream." When Kirby looked like he wanted to argue, "She can have a few sips of water, but that's all. If she vomits, it could kill her. Understand?"

"Yeah." Kirby said softly, swiping the tears from his face.

…

The next afternoon, Caje and Bobbie had loaded the truck and were fixing to head out and check tanks and distribute salt blocks. Caje was perfectly capable of doing the job by himself, but he'd noticed some disturbing things on the ranch that he wanted to talk to Bobbie about. Kirby was still so weak he didn't want to distress him any farther, and he certainly couldn't voice his concerns to Alex.

An ancient pick up, pulling an equally ancient horse trailer, pulled into the ranch yard. "Hey Little Bob!" An older man called as he exited the cab, "Your mama get home yet?"

"Wayne!" she shrieked, and all but tackled him. If the younger version of himself that had stepped out next to him hadn't steadied both of them, they would have fallen.

Caje breathed a sigh of relief. Wayne Larson was the kind of ranch hand that owners would cheerfully cut off an arm to have. He worked like a dog, could handle any unruly livestock that crossed his path, and charmed all the women and kids. His only failing was that he never stayed anywhere more than six months. Every time he left, all the women and kids cried, and the horses in his string would stand at the fence for weeks looking for him. His son Wade was just like him. And the two young cowboys who had climbed out on the other side of the truck would be responsible young men and probably top hands to boot.

Caje had fired Brady Hodge, though he probably should have called the sheriff first. Two of the other hands had asked for their pay, and he'd let them go as well. That only left Randy, the slightly slow kid, who cleaned stalls, and helped out Kate and Travers. He couldn't ride a horse, though he loved them. Tate was a mechanic, not a ranch hand.

"If you could put in a couple hours saddle time today, that would be great." Caje said.

"Sure." Wayne said instantly.

"Our horses are all in, Mr. Caje." One of the younger hands that Caje didn't think he knew said. "Have you got some mounts we can use?"

"Bye?" Bobbie asked. "I didn't recognize you!" She ran over and hugged him too.

The other young man let down the trailer ramp and started backing horses off. Wade caught Bobbie's eye and she noticed how Wayne was struggling to keep his feet under him.

"Wayne, if you could try to straighten the harness room that would be a big help. I don't think anybody has been in there since you were last here and it's a huge mess." She said quickly, ignoring the look she got from Caje.

"Let me just get Captain settled and I'll get right on it." He assured her.

"_Captain!_ You've still got _Captain!"_ As Wade backed a very old horse off the trailer, she ran and buried her face in his mane.

Caje gestured to Eddie and Theo, who had been patching a section of the dairy cow's fence, but who had come to see what was going on. "Help them get their horses settled and grab fresh mounts." He called, "You get that fence fixed yet?"

"I'll help Patrick finish." Eddie said.

Theo just gave his Dad a look. Caje knew he was dying to get back on a horse. Eddie rode well, but he wasn't as horse crazy as his little brother. "Alright Theo, you can go out with them. Wade knows the ranch -"

"I grew up here, Mr. Caje." The one that Bobbie had called Bye said. Caje had thought she knew him from the rodeo circuit. "I'm Bye Bennett. You probably don't remember me, there was always half a dozen of us kids runnin' around. Tall Feather fired my Dad for drinkin'. I don't, and I'd really love to have a job."

"Sure." Caje said instantly, figuring that if the kid just stayed thru calving season, he'd be well ahead.

"I'm Ted Barnes." The last young man said, "And I've never been here before."

"Ok, get your horse settled and come with me." Caje said. He _really_ needed to talk to Bobbie, but the way she was carrying on over that old horse, he wasn't going to pry her away. "Bobbie, I need to talk to you after dinner."

Wayne caught his eye, no doubt wondering if Bobbie was in trouble, and Caje decided he'd talk to him also. If he could get Wayne to take the foreman's job, even temporarily, that would be a huge load off his mind.

Anne Saunders stuck her head out of the cook shack where all the women except Harriet were making cheese. Harriet was in the ranch office, making calls trying to find Candace and Beth.

"Not Candace?" Anne called, and then she grabbed hold of the doorframe in shock. "_Captain! Wayne!"_ And she sprinted across the barnyard with her apron flying.

She hugged Wayne, hugged Wade, who muttered under his breath, "Who the hell _is_ that kid?" And then buried her face in the other side of Captain's mane. The old horse was nuzzling both the girls, enjoying the attention.

"Come on Anne, you can help me. He can have Sandy's stall." Bobbie said.

_Sandy's stall. The biggest, most comfortable box stall in the barn, that hadn't had a horse in it since Sandy had died in his sleep at the age of 37._

"What's goin' on?" Ruthie stepped out of the cookshack. Then, "Wayne!" and she sprinted across the barnyard and hugged him too.

Caje just laughed, and it felt really good.

…

Doc and Kirby had gone to have a cup of coffee in the break room, with Doc pushing Kirby in a wheel chair, over his protests. Freddie had given Kirby another pint of blood earlier, but Doc still didn't like the way Kirby looked.

Cass and Patty were sitting with Alex and George was with Kate. It had taken Patty threatening Travers but he had finally consented to go to the ranch for a shower and a short nap.

Kate slowly blinked her eyes open and looked at George.

"Hey Miss Kate! Good to see you." He said with a lot more cheer in his voice than he felt. He was still scared to death.

She smacked her lips a few times.

"The Doc said you could have a little water." George held a glass and the straw for her. "Easy now, don't take too much."

He sat the glass down on the table, and Kate smacked her lips a few more times. "Where's Trav?" she managed. Her voice sounded like an old squeaky door hinge.

"Patty threatened to murder him if he didn't go home and get a shower." George said, and then he realized that Kate had _spoken._

"Alex?" she looked frantic.

"Alex's head is hard as hell and she's going to be just fine." George stumbled to his feet. "I have to get the Doc." He told her, and nearly fell, trying to run from the room.

"Are you drunk?" Kate called after him.

George skidded to a stop outside Alex's room, where Dr. Randolph had just stepped in to check on her. "Kate's awake. Kate's _talking."_ He stammered.

"I told you that I thought she would be alright." Dr. Randolph said calmly, jotting something on Alex's chart.

"She's _talking."_ George said. He was so upset he was shaking. "_She's talking."_

"Son, sit down before you fall. I think I need to give _you_ a good going over myself."

"Kate hasn't said a word since just after D Day when they found out all the men from the ranch died." Alex said. "I don't understand."

"Hysterical paralysis." Dr. Randolph said, almost to himself. "it was the anesthesia."

Patty grabbed Alex's arm to keep her from punching the man, and shot a warning look at Cass. "That's the medical term for it. And no, I don't agree with it. Kate is the least hysterical person I know."

"I need to see her." Alex said, trying to swing her legs over the bed to get up.

"NO!" Doctor Randolph said firmly. "You are not to try to get up until tomorrow. We agreed. Let me check on Miss Kate and if everything's alright we'll roll your bed in there for a few minutes. But that's ALL. You both need to rest and I don't need you upsetting each other."

Alex gave him a mutinous look, but she didn't say anything.

…

The next morning George looked in horror at all the food on Freddie's plate. He had half a slice of dry toast and a cup of tea, and he didn't think he could force that down.

When Freddie reached to grab another biscuit, Ruthie stuck him with her fork. _"Enough!" _she snarled at him.

"No fighting at the table, children." Miriam said firmly. "Freddie, I raised you better than that. Ladies and children first."

"Yes ma'am." Freddie said, looking sheepish, and reaching to put the four biscuits he already had back in the basket.

"I've got another pan comin' out of the oven in a minute." John called from the kitchen. "Miriam, sit down and eat while it's warm."

Miriam shot Freddie another warning look, and then she took off her apron. Theo stood up and pulled out a chair for her.

"What would you like us to do today, Mr. Caje?" Wade asked.

"Hunt strays and check the fence lines." Caje said, though he knew they weren't going to find the cattle that were missing. Over one hundred head, if his count was accurate. And though he knew Brady Hodge had had something to do with it, proving it was something else. The ranch could absorb the loss, even though it was a lot of money, but it needed to stop.

He'd had a conference of war with Bobbie and Wayne the night before, but seeing the trouble that Wayne had walking, he hadn't asked him to take the foreman's job on. He knew the older man would, and he didn't want him hurting himself out of pride and a sense of obligation.

…

Bobbie watched the brindle longhorn cow push her calf in front of her and disappear into the trees. "I thought she was dead."

"I thought Alex sold all the longhorns." Wade said, stretching in his saddle.

"Tall Feather liked her. She always has really nice calves. But we couldn't find her last fall. She's like nine years old." Bobbie looked thoughtfully at the area where the cow had disappeared.

"Wrong time of year for acorns." Wade said.

"Tall Feather told me never to go in there." Bobbie said, the worry in her voice evident. "He said the ground just drops off into thin air."

"Told me that too, and he caught me in there and tore my butt up."

"I'd really like to know where she went."

Wade shook his rope out. "Well she's in front of us, so she'll fall before we do."

They walked their horses thru the trees and watched the cow push her calf down a narrow trail. Both of them dismounted, and Wade handed Bobbie his reins, as he walked to the edge. 'It's do-able." He called back to her. "But let's walk our horses down." He'd been about to tell her to stay up top until he saw the look on her face.

"Somebody put these cows down here." Bobbie said, as she and Wade looked at the happy bunch. There was plenty of grass and water, and some trees for shelter.

"Seventy. Give or take." At her questioning look, "Dad told me."

"One rider couldn't have gotten these cows down here."

"Alex and your Mom?"

Bobbie shook her head. "Alex and _Kate._ Mom hasn't been home at the same time as Alex in I don't know when. But that means that Alex suspected something even with everything else that was going on."

"Nothing gets by Alex."

As they started leading their horses out of the ravine, Bobbie said, "Will you stay this time?"

"I told Dad that I'm done living on the trailer and chasing dreams. Captain and I are staying here when he leaves."

…

Dr. Randolph decreed that Alex and Kate were well enough for him to go and check on Littlejohn, so Chuck flew he and Tree to Nebraska.

"Thank you, Chuck." Saunders said, shaking the man's hand as the Doctors went to confer with Littlejohn and Mavis.

"Kirby thought you might want to fly down and spend a day at the ranch and I could fly all your family back home on Saturday." Chuck said easily.

All the Saunders family had planned to head home on Saturday on trains, though Chip hadn't bought a ticket yet. He was still worried about Littlejohn, though the giant was doing much better. When Saunders just looked at him with a shocked expression on his face, Chuck continued, "I've got to get back to fly Doc and Patty home. Doc can't stay away from his patients any longer."

"That would be great." Saunders said, coming out of stupor. He was so tired he didn't know how he could keep functioning.

"We'll stop back here and let the girls visit with Littlejohn before we head for DC, have you home Sunday afternoon." Chuck said.

"Thank you, Chuck." Saunders managed.

Theo met them at the airstrip with a ranch truck, though he slid over and let Chuck drive on the way home. Saunders was so exhausted he had dark circles under his eyes.

"Daddy!" Anne cried when he got out of the truck, and hugged him hard.

"Hey, pumpkin." He said easily, as he hugged her back. Evidently they hadn't told his family he was coming.

"Chip, it's good to see you." Caje said from behind her, sticking out his hand. He seemed a little shocked when Saunders hugged him too. _"The Sarge"_ wasn't given to displays of affection, but recent events had brought back to them just how fragile life really was.

"Chip!" Cass called, sprinting from the cook shack. She had tears pouring down her face. "I didn't know you were coming."

"I didn't know I was either." He tried to grin at her. "Where's Patrick?"

"Out working with the men." She put her hand to his face for just a moment. "Sit down and talk to Caje. You look like you're going to fall over."

"What needs to be done?" Saunders asked Caje as Cass went back into the cook shack.

"We can sit down for a couple minutes." Caje thought about holding Saunders arm, the man was exhausted. "Let's grab a cup of coffee."

…

When Chip went out to help the boys feed the horses, Patrick and Eddie were in the loft dropping hay down and it only took him a few seconds to realize that Eddie was crying.

"Eddie still upset over Frank dying?" he asked Patrick as the boy climbed down the ladder.

Patrick glanced to see that Eddie was heading down to the far end of the barn to drop hay to Captain before he said, "He wants to be a pilot. And he can't do his math."

"Well Caje will get him a tutor -" Saunders stopped at the look on his son's face.

"He wants to be an _Air Force pilot."_

"I doubt that Caje will care what branch of the service he wants to join."

"But he can't pass his math!"

"I imagine Chuck could help him with that." Saunders looked at his son carefully. "What about you? I know you really liked Frank but you didn't know him _that well."_

"He was gonna help me." Patrick sighed. "Did you know his son was a frogman in the War? He died." He straightened his shoulders as if ready to do battle, then said, "That's what I want to do. He and Miriam have some family down in the Keys and one of them was a frogman too. He was gonna teach me what I need to know."

"Your Mom will have a stroke." Saunders said, almost to himself.

"You let Anne ride those crazy horses -"

"You know good and well that they don't let any of you kids ride _bad_ horses."

"Except Betty and Bobbie." Patrick corrected.

"And I know Theo gets on some that he's not supposed to." Saunders finished for him. "I'll talk to your Mom, but it's not going to be easy."

…

Ten days after Alex's accident, Kirby and Harriet were getting into the truck to take a shift at the hospital. Dr. Randolph had refused to let Alex go home because he was afraid she would try and get on a horse. They wanted to observe Kate for awhile longer. She still had trouble breathing if she got excited.

Between them, Harriet and Miss Rosalee had called every rodeo office, and all the ranches they could find phone numbers for, in three states, some of them twice, and they hadn't been able to find Candace. Kirby had called Billy, who was now a PI, but he hadn't been able to tell him anything else to do except to call the state police to see if there had been any wrecks involving horse trailers.

"Someone's coming." Harriet said, as they noticed the light plume of dust drifting up the ranch driveway.

Candace's truck and trailer slowly appeared, followed by an older model rig. Candace slowly got out of the truck and leaned against it for a second. Beth and another little girl bolted out of the other truck into the house. "Beth you get right back here and take care of your horse!" Candace yelled after her.

Kirby figured they were running for the restroom, so he didn't say anything, but he did notice that his spoiled daughter didn't even bother to speak to him.

"Candace, where have you been?" Harriet asked worriedly.

"Broken down, and broken down again, and again." She gestured at the older man who had gotten out of his truck. "This is Jerry Sinclair. I would never have gotten home without him and I told him we'd give him a job."

Jerry backed a horse and a pony off the trailer and tied them to the back. He bent to unwrap the horses's legs and Kirby hobbled over to speak to him. He knew he was being a coward leaving Harriet to explain to Candace, but he didn't think he could get the words out.

"We'll just stay the night, and let out horses rest, if that's ok." Jerry said.

"Don't you want a job?"

"I need a job, but that's not why I helped the lady."

"I didn't think it was." Kirby said, sizing him up. "I'm in dire need of a ranch foreman. " He reached out a hand to lean on the side of the trailer.

"You're hurt." The older man watched him, decided he wasn't going to fall, and kept unwrapping his horses legs.

"My wife and the lady who run the dairy are injured as well. They're still in the hospital. Everybody's been pitching in, but it's going to be awhile before things start to get back to normal."

"Thought I heard a truck." Wayne called, coming out of the harness shop. "Finally decide to get home, girl?" he called to Candace, teasingly.

"Why isn't he your foreman?" Jerry asked Kirby quietly.

"He didn't want the job." Kirby said easily, "Not that I didn't beg him to take it."

Jerry watched Wayne hobble over to Candace and nodded. "You sure I won't be stepping on any toes?"

"That's my problem, not yours." Kirby sighed. "Of course I should tell you that this ranch belongs to my wife and she's the boss. If you have a problem working for a woman -" he sighed again.

"I have no problem working for a woman who knows what she's doing."

The little girl came flying back, slowing to a walk several feet from the horses and proceeding carefully. "I'm sorry, Grandpa."

"Mr. Kirby, this is my grand daughter, Bailey."

"Hello sir." She said politely, and shook his hand. Kirby decided that she hadn't been around his daughter very long if she had such excellent manners. She immediately went to unwrapping her ponies legs.

"Where's Beth?" Kirby asked.

"She said she was going swimming."

Candace stumbled and Wayne caught her. "Oh hell." Kirby said under his breath.

"She needs to go to bed. She's had a really rough time." Jerry said, watching her worriedly.

"Come on, honey." Harriet said firmly. "Let's get you a cup of tea and you need to lie down."

"I have to -"

"Just this once you let me tend the horses." Wayne said firmly. "You can make Captain's breakfast in the morning to pay me back."

"Captain's here?" And then she burst into tears. "Where's Bobbie?"

"She's out with Wade and Bye Bennet. She's fine, but she'll be really glad you're home." Wayne made a shooing motion. "Harriet, stick your foot in Beth's behind and make her get out here and help."

Harriet pushed Candace in front of her toward the cookshack and Kirby went to help Wayne get the horses off the trailer. When Randy came out of the barn, Kirby set him to unwrapping legs under Wayne's supervision. He knew he couldn't bend down to do it and he didn't think the older cowboy could either.

"I'll get Beth back here to tend to her horse and then she needs to go to the hospital to see her Mom." Kirby said, striding towards the house as fast as he was able.

Beth had disappeared. A call into her room revealed no answer and her clothes were strewn in the bathroom floor. Kirby hobbled into the cookshack where he caught her in the refrigerator.

"Why isn't there any food in the house?" she demanded as she pulled a Coke out. "Where's Grandma?" And tossing it over her shoulder as she started out the door, "I'm going swimming. It's probably the last day it'll be warm enough."

Kirby reached and pulled the Coke from her hand. "You _are going_ to go and take care of your horse. And then you will get dressed and go to the hospital with me to see your Mom."

"Did she come off a horse?" Beth asked disdainfully, and shrugged. "I'm going swimming." She repeated, flipping her towel over her shoulder.

"Hell no, you're not." Kirby said, and grabbed her as he sat down on the stairs and flopped her over his knee. He gave her a loud swat just as a truck pulled into the ranch yard.

"You can't spank - OWWW!" Beth squalled.

"Bill!" Ruthie screamed. "Bill, stop it!"

"This is long overdue." Kirby said. He had never disciplined Beth in her life, a fact that he and Alex constantly fought over.

"Bill, stop!" Ruthie looked at Caje. "Paul! Stop him!"

Caje looked at her and shook his head.

"Bill, stop! You're going to tear your stitches out again!" Ruthie headed for the stairs at a run.

"Kirby, I'll spank her!" Caje grabbed Ruthie's arm and pulled her back.

"I hate you!" Beth squalled at Kirby.

"Good." He said, giving her one last swat. "I'm not very happy with you either right now. Go and get dressed."

Ten minutes later, Ruthie went upstairs to look for Beth to find her gone. She must have sneaked down the back stairs and taken off. Kirby threw up his hands in disgust when Ruthie told him.

Candace had fallen asleep with her head on the table before Harriet could even get her a cup of tea, and John Cook was keeping a worried eye on her.

"Come on, let's get you put to bed." Ruthie said, gently shaking her.

"I need to go see Alex." Candace protested, stumbling to her feet. Then, "Oh, God! I thought they were going to kick me out of the association because I missed two rodeos and all this has happened!" She burst into tears.

"Deena Davis's Dad paid your fine and I think they had a couple hundred other folks who offered to do it as well. And I heard a couple rowdy cowboys threatened to burn the association office down if they tried to kick you out of the finals." John Cook said. "So you don't you be worrying about that."

"Alex will understand that you needed to rest." Harriet said, "and I'm sorry, honey, but I have never seen you look this awful. You need some sleep and a shower before you visit anybody."

Harriet and Ruthie herded Candace up the stairs to her room.

The phone in the cook shack started ringing and John Cook answered. "No, Mr. Kirby's still here. Everything's fine. Candace and Beth finally got home." He thrust the phone at Kirby.

"Hi, honey." Kirby said tiredly.

"I was afraid you were broken down on the road and you didn't need to be trying to change a tire." Alex said. "I know you're tired, and Kate and I don't need a babysitter."

"Beth has run off to go swimming, and Candace is so exhausted that Harriet is putting her to bed. The horses looked fine when we got them off the trailer. And Candace brought an older man and his granddaughter with her. I offered him the foreman's job, if you approved."

"That's fine." Alex said absently. "Why don't you just stay home? Dr. Randolph said that Kate and I could have a picnic outside and Travers has gone to the café to get food for everyone. We'll be fine, really. And I'll talk to Candace when she wakes up."

"If you're sure." Kirby said. He had a very unpleasant surprise planned for his daughter when he finally caught up with her.


	6. Chapter 6

Middle Aged Blues Chapter 6

Two weeks later, Alex and Kate were home from the hospital, though both of them were under stern orders from Dr. Randolph not to overdo. Alex was being led around the paddock on a gentle horse every day, which she hated, but at least she got to ride. Kate was supervising the dairy, though she wasn't allowed to brush her beloved cows, or do any of the milking herself. They were both behaving themselves, though Kirby thought it was only because Travers was still so frightened over Kate.

They had decided to tell Kate that the anesthesia had damaged her voice, since she didn't remember that she had been unable to talk. She had refused to work with the speech therapist until Alex told her that she was frightening Prissy, and terrifying the livestock. Now she had sessions twice a week, and her voice was starting to improve a little. At least it wasn't that grating on the chalkboard sound it had been for the first few days.

Candace and Bobbie had headed back out on the rodeo circuit, and swung by the Littlejohn's to pick up Betty. Betty really didn't want to compete anymore, but she knew it was breaking her Mom's heart not to run. There was no way that Mavis would leave Littlejohn, though he had encouraged her to go. Mavis and Candace had both been hoping they could be the first mother-daughter teams to make it to the finals, and there was good natured competition between the two of them. Deana Davis called them the "old broads" and anyone who didn't know them would have been appalled at the way they carried on.

Beth was seriously angry that Kirby had refused to let her go back on the road, but he told her she wasn't missing any school. She had chores and she had to keep her grades up. He was being merciless with her, and it was past time.

Miriam and Freddie had headed back to Louisiana to try and keep Caje's fishing business going, and Caje had let Theo go with them. They really needed the help, and Theo had promised to keep up his grades, though everybody knew he usually conned one of the girls in his class into doing his homework. Eddie had stayed on the ranch, and was being tutored by Chuck.

It was late afternoon and Travers and John Cook were in the cookshack trying to figure out how to do routine maintenance on the milk pump. All the women could tear the things apart and reassemble them with amazing speed, but Kirby had decided that he wanted everyone on the ranch to know how to do _everything_, and it was proving to be a monumental task.

Alex and Kate were at the next table working on something, and Prissy was sitting with them coloring. Kirby decided he'd go visit with Caje in the machine shop for a few minutes before he asked him if he would please come and put the milk pump back together. They had to have it to milk the cows. And while he _knew_ he could get the thing back together, it would probably be midnight before he managed it.

Wayne pulled in in the truck from picking Beth and Bailey up from school. The bus let them off at the highway but it was too far for them to walk. He was the only one that Kirby trusted to make sure that Beth actually got on the bus in the morning. She couldn't bamboozle Wayne.

"Hello, Mr. Kirby." Bailey said politely, as Beth ran right past him without speaking. She always seemed stunned by his daughter's lack of manners or appreciation for anything.

"Hello, Bailey. How was school?"

"I hate school." She made a face. "But Granddad said I have to keep up my grades to keep my pony."

"I think John Cook's got a snack for you before you start on your chores." Kirby said. "You work too hard. You tell your Granddad I said for you to have break."

"Thank you, Mr. Kirby." She said, and flew to deposit her books in the cottage she and her Granddad lived in.

The only thing that Kirby could fault Sinclair on was that he was extremely hard on his granddaughter. But then, she was a lovely child, and a pleasure to be around, while Beth was _terrible._

….

Caje looked up from what he was making. "You need me to put the milk pump back together?"

"It's gonna get Travers and John's noses out of joint if Alex pops it back together in 10 minutes."

"Just let me finish this piece."

"That's a doll cradle."

"Prissy's birthday is tomorrow."

"Well, hell, nobody told _me."_ Kirby shifted on the stool he'd plopped down on. "I can't drive all the way into town tonight. Wonder if George has anything stashed at the bowling alley that I can give her."

Caje glanced out the door, saw no one was in ear shot, and said, "You and Alex got her a really pretty china doll that's hidden In Ruthie's closet. I needed it to measure the cradle. She's gonna have tons of presents and a really nice party. If we can just get her Dad to behave himself."

"Yeah, Tate is turning out to be a problem." Kirby agreed. "I know I've been gone a lot but the man doesn't want me coming in my _own_ shop, using _my own_ tools." He sighed. "I wouldn't mind seeing the man go, but I would hate for Natalie and Prissy to leave."

They were silent for awhile and then Kirby said, "Alex told me that Beth is going to wind up being a pole dancer in a hootchie cootchie show, and that it's my own fault."

In spite of himself, Caje laughed.

"It's not funny, Caje. I mean all the rest of the squad hit the damn jackpot with their kids. Your boys are great, you and Ruthie did a good job with them." Kirby sighed. "And you've got to let me pay you more for stayin' on and helpin' out -"

"Kirby, Ruthie has gained ten pounds since we've been here."

"Huh?"

"Theo finally told Freddie what was going on with my folks. Ruthie had told the kids not to tell." Caje banged a tool angrily on his work bench. "Seems my jerk brother in law was coming home for lunch and expecting to be served a full meal everyday and then when he got home from work, he just sat down in his chair and didn't do anything to help. I'm usually out on the boat all day -" he sighed. " I thought Ruthie and the boys were just upset because my Mom is dying. I had no idea how bad it was. My whole family was falling apart." Kirby could hear the emotion in his voice. "If I hadn't gotten them out of there I don't know what would have happened. I think Ruthie would have had another nervous breakdown."

"Damn. I had no idea."

"I had a little talk with my dear brother in law over the phone and told him to shape up, _or else._" Caje fit the last piece of cradle together and turned it in his hands. "I was just going to let them have the folks house because Ruthie and I don't want it anyway. I told him to put the house on the market so we would have the money to pay someone to take care of my folks."

"Caje, I'll be glad -"

"Oh he changed his tune in a hurry. Mr. Big Shot Banker losing his fancy house in the city wouldn't look good. And Freddie said he'd kick his butt." He actually grinned. "And Miriam heard the tail end of that conversation. She said she'd _kill_ him, and Freddie could feed him to the gators. It's not a good idea to make her mad, especially when it concerns the kids and Ruthie."

They heard raised female voices from outside, then Eddie's voice, then Eddie's frantic cry of "Dad!"

"Shit!" Kirby said, all but falling off the stool. "Did somebody get snake bit?" He grabbed a hoe off the wall and stumbled outside with Caje right behind him.

"You go and do your chores right now, young lady!" Alex yelled at Beth, starting after her daughter. Kate caught her arm and held her back, shaking her head.

"Beth, don't upset your Mother." Ruthie said, stepping out of the milking parlor where she had been helping Natalie with the goats.

"You just work here." Beth said disdainfully. "This is _my _ranch."

"Don't use that tone of voice with me." Ruthie said, reaching and grabbing Beth's arm.

"I don't have to listen to you, you old bitch!" And Beth swung back and popped Ruthie right in the eye.

"Oh, hell." Kirby said, knowing what was coming.

Ruthie dove on Beth like a woman possessed, and they hit the ground rolling. Beth was screaming and pitching a fit, and Ruthie was clobbering her.

"Dad! Dad! Do _something!"_ Eddie begged.

Kirby shook his head at Caje. "Ruthie's winning." Then he saw how Kate was struggling to hold on to Alex. "Oh hell." He said, hobbling to break up the fight.

"Let me." Wayne said. And he got there first, and grabbed Beth by her belt and hauled her to her feet, just as Caje grabbed Ruthie from behind.

"Let go of me!" Beth screamed. "I am going to kill you!" At Ruthie.

"Beth, you apologize to your Aunt Ruthie this second." Alex said, looking at Ruthie's rapidly purpling eye in horror.

"I hate you!" Beth squalled.

"Beth, that's enough!" Kirby barked. "I mean it."

"Why couldn't the two of you have just died like everybody else! This is _my_ ranch!"

"No, it's not." Alex said quietly, and Kirby groaned when he realized how angry she really was. Ruthie flew into a full blown rage when she got mad, and Alex just got deathly quiet.

"Beth you are not going to the finals and I'm selling your horse." Kirby said.

"I hate you!" she squalled again.

Wayne shook her. "You are a spoiled brat, and you need to apologize to everybody here."

"You _just_ work here!" Beth screamed at him.

"That's right." Wayne said easily, "And I can leave any time I've a mind to. I don't have to put up with you."

"If _anybody _leaves, it won't be you, Wayne." Alex said, with steel in her voice.

"Go to your room, Beth." Kate said. "You've upset everybody and you should be ashamed of yourself."

Ruthie was crying, and Kirby didn't know if it was because her eye hurt or because she was embarrassed or both. Eddie had tears rolling down his cheeks. "Your Mom's ok." Alex said, putting a hand on his shoulder. She turned to Ruthie, "We need to get a steak on that eye and clean up your face. She got in a few pretty good licks."

Caje kept a firm hold on Ruthie and Wayne stepped in line with them in case Beth decided that she'd like another go. But she stomped off to her room. They saw Prissy, crying, streaking for the milking parlor and her Mom.

"Oh, lord, she upset everybody." Kate groaned, trying to decide whether she should go after Prissy, or comfort Eddie, who was really crying hard now. At a gesture from Alex, she caught Eddie's other arm and the two of them herded him into the cookshack.

"What the hell!" John Cook stumbled to his feet.

"We need a steak please." Alex said, watching Caje sit Ruthie down, and sit next to her and hold her hand. She headed into the kitchen area to get a basin of water to clean Ruthie's face with.

A few minutes later, Caje was holding a steak over Ruthie's eye, and Alex was gently cleaning her face. At a glance from Kate, John Cook had given Eddie a handful of cookies and a glass of milk, which he hadn't touched. She was talking quietly to Eddie, patting his arm.

"I'm sorry, Eddie." Ruthie said, trying to peer around Alex to look at him. "I'm sorry you saw me lose my temper like that. I'm ok."

"Your mama's tough." Caje said. "And so are you."

Something in his voice made Eddie look up at him, and he straightened up, and wiped his face on his sleeve. "Yes sir." He said. He squeezed the hand that Kate was patting him with. "I'm ok, Aunt Kate."

"Alex, I'm sorry -" Travers started.

"I'll fix it." Kate said. "They're not as easy to tear down as they should be."

"Thanks, hon." He said gratefully.

"Eddie, you need to learn too." Caje said, gesturing to the pile of parts.

"I can put it back together." Eddie said, swiping at his face. "Remember, Aunt Kate, you taught Theo and I how when you hurt your arm that summer?"

"I had forgotten that." She squeezed his arm. "You go right ahead, and we'll watch and I'll help you if you get stuck."

Kirby flopped wearily in a chair and idly picked up one of the papers in front of him. "What is this?" he asked Alex, recognizing the diagram of Littlejohn's farm.

"They're going to need graveled pathways for Jimmy's wheelchair when he gets home from the hospital. I told Kate what I wanted, and she drew it." Alex said, "I thought I could get Mr. Mumford to supervise the project but I had to tell him what I wanted. I'll pay for it, of course. Mavis has too much on her already."

"Why this path out to the one pasture?"

"That's the pasture Jimmy's horse lives in." Kate answered him.

"Oh, ok. " Kirby slid the papers in a neat pile, putting a half finished colored drawing on top. It was of Littlejohn's farm and was surprisingly good. "Did Prissy do this?"

Natalie came in then, holding Prissy's hand. The child was still crying, and Bailey was right behind them. "Is everything alright?" Natale asked carefully, keeping both the girls behind her.

"Ruthie just kicked Beth's ass. I wanted to help, but Kate wouldn't let me." Alex stuck her tongue out at Kate, and the little girls giggled, which had been her intention. "I think John Cook has a special snack for you kids. You work too hard."

"Prissy, did you draw this?" Kirby asked, gesturing to the picture he had in his hand.

"Miss Alex said I could use the paper." She said, starting to cry again.

'No, it's great! You're not in trouble!" Kirby said quickly. "Maybe you can finish it and I'll have it framed and sent to Jimmy."

"Really?" she asked hopefully.

"_Really."_ Kirby said, "Now go and have your snack because I have a feeling that you girls are going to have to help me do Beth's chores on top of your own."

"Yes sir!" they both said, and flew after John Cook into the kitchen.

"Kirby, Beth's not getting out of her chores." Alex said firmly. "I don't care if she broke her damn hand. This was uncalled -" she stopped. "Oh hell! I guess I better go check on _her._"

"I'll go. She's due another spanking anyway." Kirby said, staggering to his feet.

…

The next morning, Alex walked into the ranch office where Kirby was at their desk. "Where's Wade going with the trailer?" she asked.

"I gave Beth's horse to that Drakeston kid." He said, sliding the papers he was working on under another pile of things.

"Kirby, do you have any idea how much Smiley is worth?"

"Alex, did I overstep? I'll pay you for the horse." The last thing he wanted to do was make her mad.

"No, it's ok. She's a good kid. Smiley will love her." She chuckled. "I was going to loan them _Bucket_ if Candace thought she could ride him. They're ranch people, they could handle him."

"Nobody deserves _Bucket." _ Kirby said.

"Well, I don't know what to do with him. I can't sell him, and he really doesn't need to be here when Kate and I aren't 100 %."

Alex had bought the registered gelding at a sale, and he hadn't been cheap. His real name had long ago been forgotten. They had had him a little over a month before he showed his true colors and chomped a big hole in Candace. She had a galvanized bucket in her hand and had promptly clobbered him with it. Luckily for him, she and Bobbie had both competed on him and won already. Alex thought he was the most dishonest horse she'd ever owned.

"Beth can have Bucket." Kirby said.

"Beth can -" Alex burst out laughing. She had tears rolling down her face. "oh, Kirby, that's perfect." She sat down on her side of the big desk that he had designed for them. She sighed, reached and unlocked one of her drawers. "I need you to check this over."

Kirby reached for the papers she handed him, and frowned when he saw "Last Will and Testament." "Alex, honey, this isn't necessary -"

"Yeah, it is. I should have done it years ago." She waited while he read thru the pages.

He laid them down when he finished. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I am."

"Okay, the lawyer can have it then."

Alex took the papers back and locked them up again.

Harriet came in with a tea tray. "I heard some laughing in here." She said, smiling.

"Kirby decided that Beth should ride _Bucket."_

Harriet smiled. "I think Smiley would be disappointed."

"I gave Smiley away. He's already gone." Kirby gave her an attempt at a grin that didn't quite succeed.

"Oh, there will be hell to pay when she gets home from school." Harriet sighed. She hadn't been happy that Kirby had made Beth go to school in spite of her bruised face and swollen nose. "Maybe you can tell her about France?"

"Harriet, Beth _is not_ going to France with you." Alex said, figuring where this was going.

"But I need her to help me close up the house!"

"Why are you closing up your house? You're not selling it?"

At Harriet's nod, "But you love your house!"

"I loved it when my husband was alive and we got to spend every summer there. Now it's just like an albatross around my neck."

"Are you going to move in with us?" Alex asked hopefully.

"I'm going to move in that cottage on the property that Dr. Randolph bought. Chuck has been helping me measure to make sure my furniture will fit. The baby grand is too big, and I was going to send it to Anne Saunders but Chuck said it would cost a fortune to ship it."

The thought of Saunders reaction to a baby grand showing up at his house made Alex grin. She wondered for half a second if she should offer to pay for the shipping herself.

"Well I know you two have work to do." She said, taking the cup of tea that Harriet had poured for her and a file from her desk. "And I want to go over these breeding records with Kate again, so I'll leave you to it." She closed the door behind her.

"Bill, when are you going to tell her?" Harriet asked quietly as she sat down in the chair that Alex had vacated.

"Not until after the finals. I don't want anything upsetting her or Candace."

Harriet started to protest and he cut her off. "This is the second time that both of them made it to the finals, and the second time Alex isn't going to get to go. The first time there was a blizzard and they couldn't get out. I'm not doing anything to jeopardize Candace winning."

"I don't think they'll be upset."

"Both of them cried when that Drakeston's kid's horse got hurt. She would have had to pull out of the finals too if she hadn't gotten something else to ride."

"Beth is going to have a fit when she gets home."

"Beth can have another fit. And another spanking." Kirby sighed, "Did you know that Alex was making a will?"

"She didn't leave the ranch to Beth, did she?" Harriet asked quietly. "You know that she had promised Pop West that she would keep the ranch intact, and she's always been worried about that."

"Well at least Anne Saunders will always have a place to keep a pony and make cheese."

"She divided it up, didn't she?" At Kirby's nod, "And all the parties have to agree to sell?"

"And they never will."

"Did she leave anything to Beth?"

Kirby shook his head, half grinned , gestured to all the paperwork spread out on his desk. "Time I get all this done, I'm gonna be broke. She best not count on anything from me either."

…

Chip looked worriedly at Kirby as Harriet approached him with a man who looked like a lawyer, who was carrying a briefcase. He'd thought that the Irishman would back off from work a little at least until he and Alex were better, but it didn't look like it.

The three of them stepped away to an empty table and appeared to be signing papers.

"I've got to get back." The lawyer said, stuffing all the papers in his briefcase.

"Chuck and I are going to ride the bumper cars." Harriet said, "And then we're going to have something to eat. You'll have to wait an hour."

The lawyer looked as if he was going to protest, than saw the look on Kirby's face. "Maybe I'll join you." He said.

Chuck offered Harriet his arm and the three of them headed for the little carnival that was set up on Littlejohn's farm.

"Kirby, it's none of my business -" Saunders started. Kirby had spent a damn fortune on this reunion. He'd had the thing catered, brought in the small carnival for the kids, and flown McCall's family in from England. Gil and Sally hadn't been able to make it, and Doc said he couldn't leave his patients again so soon. Saunders sighed. _It wasn't any of his business._

"I sold my interest in The 'Can." Kirby said.

It took Saunders a minute to process what he had said. Kirby had long ago shortened the name of the _Toucan_, the casino that he was part owner of, into "_The 'Can". _ "What?" he asked.

"I've got enough money. All that matters is Alex. Beth is a damn juvenile delinquent, I don't know what I'm going to do with her."

Saunders tried to digest that, watched Kirby McCall drive a little mule that was hooked to a cart back across the farm again. She and Kirby had been having an earnest talk earlier. "Kirby, please tell me you're not gonna try and ship that poor mule to England." He said.

"Naw." Kirby shook his head. "I bought him for Alex. She smiles every time she sees him. Next year she can train him for Prissy. We really don't have anything small enough at the ranch for her to ride."

They both watched as the younger Kirby pulled the mule to a halt and McCall helped Alex into the cart. Alex took the lines, laughing, and they trotted off again.

"I'm buildin' a hospital." Kirby said. "Kopacheck West Memorial. I wanted to name it after Tall Feather but Harriet said he wouldn't have liked that. I'm not telling Alex until after the finals."

Saunders looked at him in shock. "But Kirby, it's still the middle of nowhere. How are you going to staff it?"

"Randolph's gonna run it for me until Tree's out of school, and he's got a couple friends who are tired of being retired who are gonna help out too. Harriet's handling administration. She sold her shares in the casino and her house in Vegas. It'll take her kids awhile to find her here."

Saunders tried to digest that, watched Betty on Tom Tom bareback, ride up to his daughter Anne and try to pull her on behind her. They couldn't quite manage and Theo appeared out of nowhere and gave her a boost.

"I've got a whole section of tickets to the finals. It would really mean a lot to Betty if Anne could be there." Kirby said.

"Kirby, I'm sorry -" Saunders started. He had called in every favor he had, and then some, to make it here. He was going to have to work every holiday for almost the next year, and forego some of his vacation as well.

"I figured Chuck could fly up and get y'all and fly you back home. I rented two caravans, because I know the girls won't leave the horses. Did I tell you some idiot offered Alex $50,000 for The Rocket?"

"What?" Saunders managed. He knew all of Alex's horses were expensive, but that was more money than he would make in years.

"Littlejohn can't go, and Mavis won't leave him." Kirby looked to where the two of them were sitting in the shade. "Alex wants to go and watch, I was afraid I'd have to sit on her to keep her from trying to compete. Candace has a really good shot at winning the championship. Betty and Bobbie should both be in the top five. And I gave Beth's horse to a little girl who lost her own horse. Smiley should do well for her. Even Ruthie's competing."

"I thought Ruthie just went once in awhile when they needed an extra rider."

"She made enough money that she qualified in fourteenth place. And with all the gals that dropped out, that pushed her to tenth. Wayne and Alex have been coaching her every day." He watched as Alex halted the little mule at the merry go round. "Oh hell." he said under his breath.

But Blue called something to the kid operating the thing, and he stopped it. Just like that. Anyone wanting a ride had just been hopping on and off when he slowed the thing down. Whatever _it_ was, Mrs. McCall still had _it_ in spades, and used it to her advantage.

They watched as McCall helped Alex out of the cart and onto the merry go round. Blue and Cass joined her, and they all sat down on a bench. McCall got off and the operator started the ride slowly.

"I hate to think what the three of them are plotting." Saunders said.

"Most likely how to get you to agree to let them go to the finals. Betty doesn't want to compete anymore, and this will probably be the only time she and Tom Tom ever make it to the finals."

"She doesn't want to _ride?" _

"She doesn't want to _compete._ She doesn't like being on the road. She'll still go out enough to keep Mavis's name out there but she's not gonna stay on the road full time. Callie will be glad for a chance to run every chance she gets and that kid damn deserves it."

"Kirby, I can't keep taking advantage of your money -"

"Hell, it's all I got left. My looks went a long time ago."

In spite of himself, Saunders chuckled. "Are the McCall's coming too?"

"Nah, Dan couldn't get the time off, and he wouldn't have come _here_ if Alex hadn't cried. Between her and Blue and _his_ Kirby, there was no way he could say no."

"Alright, the family can go. I can't get anymore time off though. But we have to stop takin' advantage of you -"

"Sarge, I wouldn't _be_ here if it wasn't for you. And I damn sure wouldn't have Alex."

"So where's Beth?"

"Working on the ranch. She's got full time chores, which she should have had all along, and she has to keep her grades up. I'm letting her go to France with Harriet in a couple weeks. She thinks it's a vacation, so she's behaving herself. She doesn't know that Harriet's closing up her house to sell it and she has to help clean it out."

…

Six weeks later, most of the squad was on hand to cheer Candace on, as she and The Rocket set a new arena record as they streaked to win the barrel racing championship. Deana Davis came in second. Candace had beaten her by an entire $5.

"Next year I'll get you!" Deana said, shaking her fist at Candace, but both of them were laughing.

Betty and Bobbie came in 3rd and 4th. Smiley carried his new owner to a very respectable 7th place, and she was in tears. Even Ruthie, who had only been instructed to "not fall off and don't knock over any barrels" moved up to 9th place.

…

Christmas Day

Saunders had been surprised when Cass had hustled him out the door with a bag lunch, but figured that she was just pre-occupied. They were holding off on the big holiday feast until he got home from work.

There really wasn't much of anything for him to do and he was glumly thinking he might as well go ahead and eat his lunch when the phone rang.

"Hey Saunders, there's a guy here at the gate, who says he's your brother Joe. Should I send him up?"

"Sure!" Saunders said instantly, and put down the phone. Maybe that's what Cass had been thinking about this morning.

Joey stepped into his office, loaded down with boxes, with a younger kid behind him carrying another box. Saunders figured that the kid was hoping they had enough to share.

"Damn Joe, it's good to see you!" he said, shaking his brother's hand. Then, "Come on, kid, let's fix you a plate."

The kid grinned at him, and there was something vaguely familiar about him that puzzled Saunders.

"He doesn't know who I am." The kid said to Joe.

"Chris!" Saunders looked at him in shock. "Is it you?" The last time he'd seen his baby brother, Patrick had just started walking. To say that Chris was not good at keeping in touch was an understatement. He reached awkwardly and clapped him on the back.

"A woman named Sally Hanley told me in no uncertain terms that I would get my ass here for Christmas or she would have me sent to the great frozen north. Man, that woman is a -" he stopped when Joe cleared his throat.

"I very might have married that woman if I wasn't in love with Lynne." Joe said.

Chris gulped. "Well that long tall drink of water that came with her looked like he was going to rip me in half. Is he her husband or her bodyguard?"

"Her husband." Saunders said, chuckling at his brothers description of Hanley.

It looked like Alex and Sally would be meddling in his life for many years to come, and for that, he was very grateful.

THE END.


End file.
